When Fabs #4 and #5 were young, we gave each one of those Sage rods (I do not nor will I ever again fish Sage) for kids; one was bubblegum pink and the other was bright blue. They would fish with us, but finding areas to fish where they could safely backcast was not an easy endeavor. Fab #5 liked fishing but just decided he wanted to do conventional tackle. We've taken him many places to fish, but we were so surprised a few weeks before Thanksgiving when Fab #5 texted and asked for a fly rod. We actually thought he was joking and called his sister to ask if this was something he really wanted, or it was just a funny, Ha Ha text. Evidently, he really wanted it, because Sister begged us to get it for him, so he would stop talking about wanting one.
When you gift someone a fly set-up, we think you need to take them fishing, so we booked a guide trip with KC Williams out of Living Waters Fly Shop and headed to the Texas Hill Country. We told KC to focus on Fab #5, and that for the most part, Cody and I could fend for ourselves; this trip was all about teaching him to catch fish today, but to also transfer what he learned so he could fish wherever he could find places near college and fish on his own successfully.
KC was great; the Hill Country was great; the weather was great; and Cody and I were outfished by the lad! Couldn't ask for a better day topped off with a BBQ dinner at Cooper's. When we got back to the ranch, he headed off to fish the Catfish Pond and caught three catfish on his own. We didn't even know he had gone.
The other item to note, is that I fished a new-to-me rod that I won at the Dallas Fly Fishers' 2024 Auction. Due to the generous Legacy gifting, I got to bid on and win a rod from Tom Klaasen, a beloved member who passed away in 2023. I had sat with Tom at the 2022 Holiday Party and heard Tom talk of this particular 3# rod, so my bidding was one of sentimentality, as well as needing to add a 3# rod to my arsenal. As with all my rods, it needed its new name, and thus, I named Tom's Orvis rod "TKO" which stands for Tom Klaasen's Ovation. I loved this 2 piece little jewel that was a definite knock-out with the fish.
UPDATE: It absolutely makes my heart happy when we receive texts letting us know he's been out casting and fishing and catching, and we are going on a saltwater Redfish outing before he begins his summer internship!
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| One of many species for the day--White Bass, Guadalupe Bass, Channel Catfish, and Sunfish |
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Guadalupe Bass   11 May Text |
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