You look around these days and see all the violence and bad stuff happening in this world we call home and wonder where all the good people have gone. Well I met a pretty good one a couple of weeks ago. 3sons (Mike) and I emailed each other a couple of times plus spoke on the phone a couple of weeks ago then we got to fish together 2 weeks ago on Wednesday. It was Mike's 3rd time FNF at Dale and he wanted to learn more about the fly so I picked him up at Willow Grove on the 6th of December. We did not have a spectacular day on the water as far as catching fish but we did land a couple of nice ones. I answered any and all of his questions, took him to about 20 of my favorite spots and we fished, talked and laughed pretty much from daylight to dark. The day went by extremely fast as we talked about our kids, jobs and fishing and I had an enjoyable time. He was only fishing Thursday for a few hours so when we got back to Willow Grove at dusk, I marked up a few spots close for him to try to catch his first keeper and noticed he had a pretty old map. I told him that I would buy a new map and mark some spots for him and send it to him, not thinking anything of it. I headed off to Holly Creek to take out and he went to his cabin at Willow. Thursday was a perfect Smallie day, windy, rainy, sleet, snow and cold which produced my best day of the week with 11 fish including 3 over 4 lbs. Little did I know that Mike went out and caught his first keeper over 21 inches from one of the spots that I gave him. I got home and he had sent me an email with him holding his picture. He put the big girl in the livewell, found someone at the marina to take his picture before letting her loose. We emailed after and found out that he and his son was going down Wed thru Friday of this week as my buddy Cliff and I was fishing all week. he told me that he had a care packet for me to stop by Hendricks Creek to meet him on Wednesday. Cliff and I fished all day Wednesday to a big fat ZERO, no pulldowns, no hits, nothing (see report) and then we went to Hendricks. Mike and his son was idleing into the marina and stopped me. I give him his map and he hands me a rod shipping tube that has G Loomis on the outside. I was shocked as I opened up to find a Brand New G Loomis Floating Fly Rod. I was absolutely speechless (for all that know me, that was a first). My buddy Cliff has known me for 30 years and made the comment that I was speechless sitting there. I was shocked and had no clue what to say above and beyond THANKS. I told him that he did not have to do that but he said it was the best guide trip he had ever been on and since I would not take any money for gas or anything and that is how he chose to re-pay me. Besides he had caught his first keeper at one of my spots that I had given him the day we went out. During our day together, I commented on the fact that I was going to buy a second FNF rod and could not decide on the G Loomis ($250) or the Silstar ($49 - well worth the money) to go along with my All Pro. Mike made the choice for me and I have no clue how to re-pay him. I am amazed that he remembered that part of our conversation and again can't believe that he did this generous gesture. I went out that night and bought an Okuma spinning reel for it and commensed to land 2 fish the next day on back to back cast within a half hour of fishing. I had no clue what to say then and I still don't for this act of kindness. Thanks very much Mike and I look forward to sharing the boat with you and your son for many years to come chasing those big brown fish.
elnutsmalljaws (Elwood)
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