One thing I’m appreciating, being back in home country, is the fact that out here we learn by doing.
Want to learn to process an antelope? I took that “class” a few weeks ago… dealing with the weekend’s harvest on Jake’s countertop. Want to learn to row a boat? Buy a patient, boat-owning friend a six-pack and gas to the nearest wide, calm river and prepare to blister up. Want to learn to jam your hand into cracks while rock climbing? Folks can show you — and then show you how to tape broken fingers to save visit to the doctor. There’s a reason folks walk around in Carhartt pants and muck boots and dirty jackets. We get our hands dirty. It’s the best way to pick up new skills.
And you want to learn two-handed fishing? There’s no app for that… there’s a class. And — believe it or not — a class for women, too.
I found myself back in Craig today, cruising along the Missouri just like old times.
Headhunters was putting on their first women’s-only Spey clinic, and I needed some images for an upcoming article. Fish-savvy friends Sara and Beth taught a class of eight ladies the basics of two-handed fishing, and despite a stubborn wind, there were plenty of smiles and laughs on the water today.
It was fantastic to see women of all ages and all walks of life (and from all over Montana) come together, wader up, and practice their skills. Before the close of the day, the ladies all had the basics down, and were eager to learn how to apply the technique on their home waters.
I’d wager there are some new Spey addicts in the state tonight.
