Trout Water is Trout Water No Matter Where One Finds It!

I said that on stage at a Gulf Coast Trout Masters Tournament while being interviewed by Mickey Eastman, too many years ago to remember exactly where and when. I won that fishing tournament and at the time it was taken by some as a very cocky statement. I did not mean it that way at all, I was merely answering the question Mickey had asked: How someone not familiar with the area they were fishing could compete with others that were? 

As a young angler I was of the mindset that I wanted to be good at fishing, even before becoming a fishing guide was a distant thought. I have maintained that thought process my entire career and it has served me well on most occasions.

Recently, I was fortunate to take a week off from trout fishing in saltwater to travel to the Idaho-Montana area and experience some freshwater trout fishing.  I love to fish, need to fish, and love to guide people fishing. I was joined on that trip by good friends Steve Heriksen and Robert Moll, fine gentlemen both and longtime clients and supporters of everything Watkins. Steve Henriksen is HENRI RODS as many of you likely already know.

The three of us started planning this adventure during the winter months in Port Mansfield over a good steak and some top shelf bourbon. Plans were made mostly by Steve who owns a place in Jackson Hole and has fly fished the rivers of Idaho, Montana, Utha and Wyoming for many years. Robert is also a very experienced fly fisherman and fishes the area as well.

Me, well I am just a beginner and went along to learn and experience something different than what I am normally accustomed to, one being days off from guiding during the peak summer period in Rockport. It’s funny that people think that I no longer need to fish. That somehow, I have acquired great wealth in the guiding business and can just sit on the porch and relax. Truth is that I love to fish and truly enjoy guiding and teaching others something that maybe they did not know during a day on the water with me.

My week on the multiple rivers we fished were filled with beautiful scenery and non-stop learning about Rainbow, Brown, and Cutthroat trout. Too many little things to tell you about that one needs to learn to become just a fly fisherman, much less a good one. There are casting and mending, matching the hatch, fly selection, presentation and a hookset that is uncommon to me, but I figured it out somewhat by trip’s end.

There are so many things to do with one’s hands and fingers that make or break the cast and the hookset. I know at times it was frustrating for my guides, all of which were very patient, knowledgeable and helpful, and I thank them for this. As a fisherman, I found a way to get it done most days despite at times having to use every appendage that I had, including my mouth. Hey, it worked when I dropped my finger off the line on the set and it allowed me to recover and get back in position. Had to have made the guides just shake their heads in amazement when I would actually get the hook stuck and land the fish.

The one thing that I will say that I heard repeatedly from day one, is that when it comes to casting, less is more much of the time. Steve and Robert helped me around the lake at the Silver Bow Lodge in Montana during some downtime, and we waded the Big Hole River that ran through the Silver Bow property and worked on the basics. Steve and Robert would scout for rising trout and then get me in the right position to cast and catch them. They were now guiding me. How great is it when the student becomes the teacher?

I don’t possess that mild mannered flyfishing temperament. Bad cast and missed targets as well as missed catching opportunities were followed by bursts of profanity, some strings that maybe the river Gods had not heard strung together before. I am ashamed that I still resorted to this while being 6000 ft closer to God, not that he hears any better at higher elevations. For the record, no GD in my profanity, if that is even a good thing.

We got to fish in a variety of ways, all of which were foreign to me, and that was a good thing. I got to learn a variety of different elements of trout fishing that were needed for certain river systems and certain types of hatches that were happening as we fished. Seeing the bugs doing what they do throughout the day was amazing to me. The most amazing thing I think was realizing just how good a freshwater trout’s eyes have to be to be able to survive. Some of the nymphs we used were so small that I am still amazed the fish could see them. Trying to get these flies tied to 2- and 4-pound tippet was a challenge in itself, but my new lenses from the Whitsett Eye Center in Katy Texas helped in this endeavor.

I was amazed at the lack of checking and changing the leaders. Did not seem to hurt at all but I was continually running my fingers up and down the line checking for abrasion. Seems like in all the turbulent water and rocks that there would have been a higher rate of abrasion. I did get heavy-fingered once on a good brown trout and broke it off as it ran up-current. Wish I could have gotten a better look at the fish. Had me on the reel and into the backing in no time until I tightened that finger on the line, and that was it. Profanity won out for just a few seconds, just so you know.

The competitiveness in me finds making senseless mistakes unforgivable. The realist in me understands that at this point there is a learning curve and I just need more time on the river. The fishing was great and I can’t wait to visit the mountains and rivers again someday.

The Silver Bow lodge and staff are top shelf. I have never been exposed to such helpful and luxurious accommodation within the lodge as well as the cozy log cabins that the lodge can also provide. The lodge is set in a large meadow with a river view to the east along with rolling hills. To the west is a taller mountain range with jagged rock and sage and home to a small group of Big Horn Sheep that we saw on occasion. The food in my opinion could not have been any better and the staff within the lodge as accommodating as anywhere I have been. Five Stars all around is my vote for this destination and I highly recommend a week here to get you back on track if needed.

The very best thing about the trip was the opportunity of spending time with a couple of guys that I now realize are true friends. It was hard for me to drop the client-guide mentality and relax and kid around like guys do with one another. We never had to tell one another what needed to be done in preparations for the next day or at the days end.

Steve made the coffee; Robert provided it; he has the best coffee. I washed dishes and clothes and most of all I think I made them laugh. I was once very good at making people laugh before I somehow started taking life too seriously. Steve and Robert drove the golf cart and I critiqued their driving skills. They made a big deal about me eating everything on my plate and then complaining about overeating later.  I doubt that I will ever forget my time with these great individuals. Maybe when dementia sets in, but hopefully that is a while away for me. Inside joke that Robert and Steve will get and die laughing about. It’s private and belongsto only us, sorry.

We sat on the back porch each afternoon and reflected on our day, somehow trying to preserve the great memories of the river and with one another. We met some good people and had fun visiting with them during happy hour and dinner every evening. We did not travel to our destination together; each made their own travel arrangements and traveled alone. Steve drove due to him spending five weeks in Wyoming with family; Robert drove as well, wanting to make some stops at historical places along the way. I flew into Idaho Falls. Steve met me at the airport, and we later met Robert at the Trout Hunters Lodge in Idaho for the first day of fishing.

This was my first time traveling alone and navigating flying; TSA check-in, reservations, airport connections, and all that stuff. I was anxious to say the least but managed well, I think, for my first big adventure alone. To be honest, I was so nervous about traveling and flying alone that I did not eat for almost two days. Helped my waistline but messed up my head. Gained it all back and then some, thanks to the staff at the Silver Bow. 

I had a guy come up to me at the Trout Hunters and asked if I was Jay Watkins. I thought seriously about saying no but admitted that I was and come to find out he lives in Harlingen and sees Jay Ray and I on the water when we are in Port Mansfield. The fishing world is very small when you get down to it.

So…is trout water trout water no matter where one finds it? Truth is that there are many different types of trout water in both salt and fresh environments. Most have similarities that I can relate to my home waters in Texas, making it easy for me to feel comfortable with such a statement. In freshwater, trout are structure orientated the same as in saltwater, but there are so many more variables. I guess I am saying that it is true that trout water is trout water, but more accurately, it could be safer to say that trout are trout no matter where we find them.

I am most thankful for good health, great fishing, breathtaking views, and unbelievable friends. I hope to return to the rivers somewhere soon with Robert and Steve. Who knows where Steve will set us up on our next adventure.

May Your Fishing Always Be Catching!  -Guide, Jay Watkins