January 2011 #2

John Gray on the Watauga River in North Carolina using a Prince Nymph

John writes:

"Attached is a photo that I am submitting for your website. It captures one of the best fishing memories I have.

I was guiding two kids this summer on the Watauga River in Boone, North Carolina. They were probably seven- and nine-years old, respectively, and neither had done any fishing before, not even with a cane pole. Their parents were standing on the bank watching.

I got the youngest one in the water first. I had him hold the rod while I put my hand over his to help him cast. He was just too young to have any chance of getting a decent cast. He could barely hold the rod by himself. On about the third drift a pretty good fish by North Carolina standards hit a #16 prince nymph which I bought from your shop. As you may know, I am a long time customer of Big Y. While I did help him set the hook, I let him bring the fish in on his own with a little bit of coaching. The attached photo is the result. This was a great memory for me, the fisherman and the entire family.

Thanks for considering my entry and for letting me tell you about a great memory for me, even though I never wet a line that day."