Well I’ve finally made it here. Sorry for my tardiness, but since I retired from guiding steelhead my life has never been so exciting and busy. My new fulltime job is the other thing I always wanted to do when I grow up: I’m a fulltime firefighter/EMT. Which is cool. Not only is it an exhilarating, rewarding job (not to mention insurance and a pension that guiding did not provide) I have the perfect work schedule that allows me time to stayed involved in the fishy business.
I work for 48 hour shifts followed by 96 off. Yep, every 2 days I have 4 days off! Most of my firefighting buddies have part time jobs that have them doing construction, landscape work, emergency room EMT, or even being part time with another fire department etc. Not me, no siree, I teach spey casting around the Nation, write fishing books and magazine articles, speak to fly fishing clubs and help Tim Rajeff design fly rods and lines! And lot’s more, including hosting trips to exotic fishing places. Somebody pinch me! Yeah, I’m having that cake and eating it too.
I just got back from what has been a dream trip that I’ve fantasized about for nearly 30 years. The Rio Grande in Argentina’s Tierra Del Fuego far exceeded my expectations. I caught a bunch of those big, bad sea run browns, I added 28 species of new birds to my life-list (I’ve been an avid birder since age 12), I ate massive quantities of delicious food, I saw foxes and guanacos, met some amazing people, and thoroughly enjoyed the vast, dramatic lanscape.
I brought a full arsenal of rods, but found that my Echo DH 7130 was all that I used. She was the perfect stick. Strong winds and heavy fish were no match. Speaking of rods, I have to say that working with Tim Rajeff and the gang has been an incredible experience. They are the coolest, nicest people of all time. Being able to work with Tim, designing all eight “Decho’s” was a fabulous experience. I can speak to Tim in touchy feely terms regarding what I want in a rod and he understands exactly what I mean. That’s when he puts his genius to work and produces a rod for me to test. About 80% of the time the prototype is spot on! Simply amazing.
Well I’ve gotta run now. I’m off to Kiene’s Fly Shop in Sacramento to teach 3 days of Spey casting. The following weekend I’ll be on The Skagit River presenting at The Kaufmann’s Spey Days and doing a private school. Right after that it’s back to California to The Fly Shop in Redding for another weekend of spey casting schools (I believe there’s a spot or 2 open in my class on April 5 2009. Call The Fly Shop if interested 1-800-669-3474.)
In between all those trips I’m at the fire station. Told you I was busy.
Ciao, Dec