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Thread: How many of you grew up in a fly fishing family?

  1. #11
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    Feb 2005
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    I grew up in a fishing family. My dad fished and trapped in Illinois when I was young. I got the bug early when my family moved south to Chattanooga Tn. I was in the 4th grade then. We were pretty poor so we ate a lot of fish dinners. When we moved back to Illinois I learned the ropes there. Started fishing artificials and ultra light gear. While I read about fly fishing in the hook and bullet mags I never experienced it until I moved to Sacramento in 1982. A guy at the El Manto access was showing anyone who cared the basics of fly casting one evening. I was totally hooked. I still fish and hunt with that same guy to this day.
    Elwood: It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark... and we're wearing sunglasses.

    Jake: Hit it.

  2. #12
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    May 2005
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    Carson City NV
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    While I didn't grow up in a "fly fishing family", my Dad always seemed to have some kind of craft to be on the water.

    From ski boats, to patio boats, and 12 foot aluminum boats, we always managed to fish from those craft.
    I remember spending considerable time in the bow(s) of the 12 footers in my younger days, trolling "Ford Fenders" at Bucks, Almanor, Antelope, and Oroville.
    Spent lots of time in the bow fishing minnows and jigs under a bobber tied up in the trees at Black Butte too.

    Most of our "catches" were put in milk cartons, in the garage freezer,..........only to be thrown out during the next years home "spring cleaning".

    I remember Dad setting me up with a "Fly Rod" at the Hamilton Branch.......Lake Amanor.......when I was about 10 years old.
    I was instructed to "follow me and do what I do".

    It took me quite a while to convert Dad to "Catch and Release".

    Some good memories of back then........................................





    Bob

  3. #13
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    Oct 2013
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    alameda
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    I was introduced to fishing by my Dad and big brother at the early age of 4, at around age 7, I was gifted my first row boat it was a heavy barge of a boat but it got me out on the water. I was introduced to fly fishing at around age 10 by my friends Dad, he taught us how to cast, build fly and spin rods, make lures (spoons, spinners & hand carved plugs/poppers), tie flies, make leaders etc. The Herters catalog was our bible (we could find everything there). Because we lived on a small lake we did try everything and because the lake had an outlet stream we also learned to fish the stream. It was a wonderful way to grow up. Each kid in the neighborhood had a row boat and we would meet out on the lake, kind of like some kids rode their bikes we had rowboats (and bikes too). In the winter we would ice fish with tip-ups and jigging rods (made from a broken rod attached to a piece of wood with two screws about 6" apart acting as our line holder). We would haul our gear on to the lake with a wicker basket tied to our sled. Wonderful memories.
    Last edited by tcorfey; 12-19-2020 at 12:00 PM.

  4. #14
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    Nov 2008
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    Fort Bragg
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    I almost passed this thread by mostly because neither my father or mother had much interest in the outdoors, which is ironic because we lived in on of the most beautiful semi-wild places in the US....now it is all a National Park.

    My grandfather (father's father) did like to fish but he was a grumbly old fellow (78 when I was born) and had very little to do with his grandchildren...except for one or two times we visited his cabin on Clear Lake (four hour drive then). The only photos I have of him are from there and he is around or in his old rowboat. The only time I knew him to be "friendly".

    But my blessing came in two parts: Where I grew up: Beautiful bay; Several small creeks in the fir forests; One larger "creek" that fed the bay; The open meadows and hills to the east.

    The second part was having older brothers that forged their way around and through the forests and waterways and dragged me along. One loved building boats and getting out on the water (built his first one, all by himself, at 12 or 13 and retired two years ago from his lifelong career....building boats), so we would go places (often not telling our mother....seemed to be easier that way) and sleep on beaches, stay out way too late and fish. That was the start, fishing the bay. then I fished the river that fed the bay then moved the the solitude of the small creek and the little brown trout there. (First "rig": Butcher string from my mother's store tied to a small bay limb with a safety pin for a hook....yep, really...a safety pin...and a worm)

    The biggest part of being blessed with these adventurous brothers was my oldest brother Fred. Elven years older, he saw I was very interested in fishing so before he left the house he encouraged me as much as possible and when I was 10 he gave me an old bamboo rod with a reel filled with some pretty battered fly line. No instructions and I never knew (and at 79 he does not remember) where he got it, but I went out and started thrashing the water.

    Thankfully he left his old copies of Field & Stream around and I started hitchhiking 25 miles to the Western Sport Shop where I found the best people in the world to help me along. What do you mean by "leader"??? By 11 or 12 I had my own small tying kit and a fiberglass rod with a newer reel and knew how to tie my own leaders.

    So, no, not really a "fly fishing family" so much as a bunch of brothers that were not afraid to throw me into the deep water (Yes one really did do this...and he pulled me back after I went down the second time) and let me tag along while they traipsed all over the country we were lucky enough to inhabit.

    One other part: Because I lived in a place where steelhead and salmon thrived I was always encouraged by the people that came there to chase them. Though I did not know it at the time I was meeting legends and I do not think I ever told then enough, "Thank You". One fellow in particular came back every year and I always looked for him when wandering around in my used hip waders, carrying my $16 fly rod and he always took a few moments to point me to a fish. Fact is he pointed me right to my first steelhead on a fly! He also loved that particular place so much he ended up living there, on and off, for decades and spend his last years "in town" until his death last year. I did get to see him and remind him of his kindness to "the local kid" six decades earlier.

  5. #15
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    Sep 2014
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    O'vale Ca., Estes Park Co.
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    Definitely a outdoor and fish family. Heck my mom said she and my dad rented fishing gear on their honeymoon. They were both military at the time.
    Fly fishing wasn’t extensive when I was younger, but mainly used a fly rod on the rivers for the “reach” around the willows even with bait. I still have a 60’s Wright and McGill spin and fly backpacking rod, auto retrieve fly reel, a pflueger medalist, and the closed face spin reel. It was the thing in the 60s.
    It wasn’t till the early 70s high school days I stopped using a bamboo fly rod and bought a graphite rod.
    I still to this day use old pflueger reels, even on my Spey rods
    Last edited by cmcdhuibh; 12-19-2020 at 03:48 PM.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
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    I probably should add. I watched a lot of films in school growing up in Illinois. I would dream of fishing the places, the mountain ranges depicted in the text books. To this day every time I'm walking a trail in Sierras I can't but wonder how this had come about. I saw this in a film in elementary school and here I am. I hope some urban bound future back country fisher sees this and takes hope. I was as urban bound as it could get and I overcame. It can be done.
    Elwood: It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark... and we're wearing sunglasses.

    Jake: Hit it.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
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    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
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    23,837

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    Quote Originally Posted by tcorfey View Post
    I was introduced to fishing by my Dad and big brother at the early age of 4, at around age 7, I was gifted my first row boat it was a heavy barge of a boat but it got me out on the water. I was introduced to fly fishing at around age 10 by my friends Dad, he taught us how to cast, build fly and spin rods, make lures (spoons, spinners & hand carved plugs/poppers), tie flies, make leaders etc. The Herters catalog was our bible (we could find everything there). Because we lived on a small lake we did try everything and because the lake had an outlet stream we also learned to fish the stream. It was a wonderful way to grow up. Each kid in the neighborhood had a row boat and we would meet out on the lake, kind of like some kids rode their bikes we had rowboats (and bikes too). In the winter we would ice fish with tip-ups and jigging rods (made from a broken rod attached to a piece of wood with two screws about 6" apart acting as our line holder). We would haul our gear on to the lake with a wicker basket tied to our sled. Wonderful memories.
    That is an amazing story.......thanks.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ed Wahl View Post
    I probably should add. I watched a lot of films in school growing up in Illinois. I would dream of fishing the places, the mountain ranges depicted in the text books. To this day every time I'm walking a trail in Sierras I can't but wonder how this had come about. I saw this in a film in elementary school and here I am. I hope some urban bound future back country fisher sees this and takes hope. I was as urban bound as it could get and I overcame. It can be done.
    Wonderful Ed......

    I read everything I could find on fishing as a kid. Fishermen's Bible, all the outdoor hunting & fishing magazines, watch old movies at local sport shows. As I drive in the car and I see some water I wonder what is in there?
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  9. #19
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    Jan 2005
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    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobVP View Post
    I almost passed this thread by mostly because neither my father or mother had much interest in the outdoors, which is ironic because we lived in on of the most beautiful semi-wild places in the US....now it is all a National Park.

    My grandfather (father's father) did like to fish but he was a grumbly old fellow (78 when I was born) and had very little to do with his grandchildren...except for one or two times we visited his cabin on Clear Lake (four hour drive then). The only photos I have of him are from there and he is around or in his old rowboat. The only time I knew him to be "friendly".

    But my blessing came in two parts: Where I grew up: Beautiful bay; Several small creeks in the fir forests; One larger "creek" that fed the bay; The open meadows and hills to the east.

    The second part was having older brothers that forged their way around and through the forests and waterways and dragged me along. One loved building boats and getting out on the water (built his first one, all by himself, at 12 or 13 and retired two years ago from his lifelong career....building boats), so we would go places (often not telling our mother....seemed to be easier that way) and sleep on beaches, stay out way too late and fish. That was the start, fishing the bay. then I fished the river that fed the bay then moved the the solitude of the small creek and the little brown trout there. (First "rig": Butcher string from my mother's store tied to a small bay limb with a safety pin for a hook....yep, really...a safety pin...and a worm)

    The biggest part of being blessed with these adventurous brothers was my oldest brother Fred. Elven years older, he saw I was very interested in fishing so before he left the house he encouraged me as much as possible and when I was 10 he gave me an old bamboo rod with a reel filled with some pretty battered fly line. No instructions and I never knew (and at 79 he does not remember) where he got it, but I went out and started thrashing the water.

    Thankfully he left his old copies of Field & Stream around and I started hitchhiking 25 miles to the Western Sport Shop where I found the best people in the world to help me along. What do you mean by "leader"??? By 11 or 12 I had my own small tying kit and a fiberglass rod with a newer reel and knew how to tie my own leaders.

    So, no, not really a "fly fishing family" so much as a bunch of brothers that were not afraid to throw me into the deep water (Yes one really did do this...and he pulled me back after I went down the second time) and let me tag along while they traipsed all over the country we were lucky enough to inhabit.

    One other part: Because I lived in a place where steelhead and salmon thrived I was always encouraged by the people that came there to chase them. Though I did not know it at the time I was meeting legends and I do not think I ever told then enough, "Thank You". One fellow in particular came back every year and I always looked for him when wandering around in my used hip waders, carrying my $16 fly rod and he always took a few moments to point me to a fish. Fact is he pointed me right to my first steelhead on a fly! He also loved that particular place so much he ended up living there, on and off, for decades and spend his last years "in town" until his death last year. I did get to see him and remind him of his kindness to "the local kid" six decades earlier.
    Excellent Bob......now I realize I should have titled it differently....maybe "Did you grow up in an outdoors kind of family?"
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
    Posts
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by cmcdhuibh View Post
    Definitely a outdoor and fish family. Heck my mom said she and my dad rented fishing gear on their honeymoon. They were both military at the time.
    Fly fishing wasn’t extensive when I was younger, but mainly used a fly rod on the rivers for the “reach” around the willows even with bait. I still have a 60’s Wright and McGill spin and fly backpacking rod, auto retrieve fly reel, a pflueger medalist, and the closed face spin reel. It was the thing in the 60s.
    It wasn’t till the early 70s high school days I stopped using a bamboo fly rod and bought a graphite rod.
    I still to this day use old pflueger reels, even on my Spey rods
    Thanks ......your parents sound very interesting....I still use the old Pflugers too.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

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