Guided fishing

I fished about ten hours with a guide named Tommy yesterday. It was unquestionably the most successful day of fishing of my life, although Tommy gets most of the credit. I lost count at 30 fish, and that was well before lunch. Lunch was wonderful and healthy and diabetic friendly.

Fishing with a guide is a little like being being a kid fishing with yer dad, or a young woman fishing with a new boyfriend. He does all the unpleasant stuff. No we weren't fishing with worms but he tied on flies and untangled lines, all without making me feel like I couldn't do it for myself. He handled most of the fish, and insisted on it from a conservation prospective. He does it every day and he's good at it, so it's better for the fish.

Of course that comparison assumes your dad or boyfriend is perfectly non-judgemental and kind. Tommy taught me a number of casting tricks without bruising my fisherman's ego. He was very good. I've been on rivers in small crafts of different kinds before, and I was amazed at his boatman's skills.

On the downside, guide service is expensive, and you pay by the day so I fished way past my comfortable endurance level. I was still having fun when we finally quit but I was sore and exhausted and a little sunburned. I applied sun sauce several times during the day but missed the underside of my casting arm, which was up in the air all day of course. I also applied it to my face but not enough, I guess, and the sun reflected off the Henry's Fork up under my wide brimmed hat and got my face pretty good.

So I got some aloe vera gel and took a shower and went to bed early, and slept late, getting over seven hours of sleep for the first time in a while. There was no way I was going to be ready to fish at first light this morning. Now I'm going to make a grocery run and cook a good lunch before fishing this evening. My routine is going to become early and late fishing, with lunch in camp and supper from the vest pocket on the water. Most of the hatches are coming off early and late, although Tommy got me in to some rainbows feeding on pale morning duns that were contradicting their name by emerging into the afternoon.

I'm looking forward to fishing some new spots my guide recommended, and using the new skills he taught me. I'm staying three more days on the Henry's, and then moving on. Stay tuned. Pictures maybe tomorrow.