Pete and I walked down the bank towards a run that I had fly fished many times before. I had guaranteed Pete steelhead at the location we just left. Of course, there are no guarantees. It’s fishing, but sometimes you can know a spot so well that it does seem reasonable to offer guarantees. So anyway, Pete was beginning to question my guarantees. I had guaranteed him steelhead. Nothing happened. So as we walked towards this new run I said, “Pete, this is a guaranteed steelhead.” He didn’t even respond, because he had heard the same nonsense many times before. Something felt different though, this run really did feel like a guarantee. Pete steps in the perfect slot. Throws a cast way upstream and his steelhead rig starts coming back towards him. Bang! A steelhead takes his fly and rips into the shallow water. He has no place to go and Pete is as shocked as the fish. Both of them scramble for strategies and the fish figures it out first. The steelhead rips downstream into the fast water before Pete can even figure out which way to go. Gone. We both laughed, because tricking them is really most of the fun. Pete throws his line back in the same exact slot. Bang! Steelhead on. Pete does not let this fish get too far below him. We land the fish, take a snap shot and let him go. Pete is all smiles and so am I. We fish a bit downstream. No luck. On our way back to the car, I said, “Hey Pete, I am just gonna take a few drifts through our spot. It is a guaranteed fish” I step in the slot. Bang! A steelhead takes the fly. Pete and I had a great day on the water. We coverd alot of water, caught some nice fish, lost some nice fish and had some good laughs. So, even though there are not really any guarantees. If you have a good enough friend, that knows you are part kidding and part serious. It can be kind of fun to offer “guarantees.” But, if you do it too much and they don’t pan out you run the risk of having your friends discredit them entirely.
Hey it’s good to see you two old friends out fishing again. I remember when we went to EO and yes, there might have been talk about “real good spots”, “the fish ARE there”, “even …”it’s a no-brainer”. But I NEVER say the fish are ‘guarenteed’ which can be instant suicide for a guide if your client comes up empty. Like on the Tamiami Trail, I hooked four Tarpon in three consecutive days. I honed in on them, location, pattern, retrieve, all were as if preordained. I returned several days later…nada, nothin’ there were no Tarpon caught, seen, period…Skunked. What seemed routine one day was complete mystery the next. That’s what’s so fascinating about our sport!
Great topic and a cool way of focusing on it…Yes, cool…. read that, cold!
Now if I weren’t so warm-blooded, I’d have wished to be out there with you guys.
Good to see you hooked up again, Pete!
marsh
I have heard that guarantee many times before to pete. Glad you got some steel looks like you guys have been getting some warmer weather. Watch out for the rain today. Good luck and keep us up to date.
“I’m” not here to guarantee you big steel”
-Dave
great story, glad to see somebody is fishing. Way to go. What flies were you using?
“This isn’t childs play”
Sweeeet!