LOCALadk Magazine

Fall 2016 LOCALadk Magazine 50 LOCALadk At home, the native fish that inhabit the tiny streams and creeks that create the headwaters of the southern Appala- chian watershed don't get very big. What they lack in size, they easily make up in beauty and in fighting spirit. Like most anglers in the early stages of learning the art, I was constant- ly nagged by the thought of catching big fish. It's not always about the size of the fish - but sometimes it is. With trembling hands and shaky knees, I bring the fish to my net and admire the pattern painted across its dark yellow body. It is easily the largest brown trout I have ever caught. My heart races. The scene repeats itself for hours; I net a gor- geous trout with trembling hands, stare at it in wonder, de- cide it's the largest brown trout I have ever caught, and wave goodbye. The March Brown carries me into the afternoon. With little more than a few gulps of water, eight hours bliss- fully pass by. How does that happen so easily? The day before, I had the pleasure of meeting Rachel Finn, a guide for The Hungry Trout and something of an inspiration and celebrity. Rachel, with her artist's eye, is a constant ob- server who sees something new every time she is on the river. Whether it is the pattern of dried foam rings encircling a rock, or the color of the lichens clinging to its side, it is Rachel's cu- riosity and need to interact with that element that shows just how vested she is as a student of the discipline. Using these observations as entry points into her artwork, Rachel enriches her fishing experiences beyond her fly fishing and guiding tal- ents. The more time spent on the water observing and trying to understand and improve, the easier it is to get in the zone and lose track of time. It's at these times - when the art, craft, and sport of fly fishing blend together - that your position as a lifelong student is reaffirmed. The elements of a perfect day of Adiron- dack flyfishing : flies, fish, friends, and fading daylight

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