by Shequila » August 6th, 2009, 10:54 am
Hmmmm....Grew up in the Adirondacks of upstate NY. Only fished with friends a few times, mostly while partying. didn't have my own poles or anything so I actually just used a long stick and attached fishing line, hook & night crawlers. Night crawler hunting was a popular "date" activity in my part of the woods. (yes, I am a redneck). Caught lots of brookies that way, panfish, small & largemouth, bullhead.
A week after graduation, my girlfriend and I loaded with a pack of saltines, $5 and a pack of Marlboro Reds hit the road and started hitchhiking. By some strange twist of fate I ended up in Oklahoma. Got married, had babies, blah blah boring.
But got a job working for the OK Wildlife Dept. Everything for a reason right? 8 years with them, teaching hunter ed/aquatic ed and started hunting with my girlfriend in 1994. Took a fly fishing class in 1996. Never picked up a regular rod and reel since.
Husband leaves me because I am TOO outdoorsy. What a butthead.
I get recruited to run the new outdoor adventure program for the Air Force. I do so for 7 years guiding backpacking, kayaking, rafting, climbing, skiing and a bunch of other stuff. Started guiding and teaching fly fishing in 2002 on the Lower Mountain Fork River in SE Oklahoma. Moved to Wisconsin with current husband. What to do now? Go to guide school of course!
I spend the best 14 days of my life in St Regis, MT on the Clark Fork River with Dave (flyguide) and his dad. These guys truly are the best there is and all of you should spend at least one day with either of them. Dave is probably the only person I know with more passion for this sport than I. Now stuck in Wisconsin. What's my next move? Hmmmm...time will tell.