Isla on the Fly - A 2023 Reflection
Getting this silly girl out on the water is one of my favorite things to do.
Some of the best highlights from fishing this past year have happened on my personal time shared with my daughter. I’ve been blessed to have the time and resources to take her out on the water. In doing so, she’s helped me create memories I will cherish for the rest of my life. In her first year of life, we have been able to catch smallmouth and largemouth bass, brown trout, rainbow trout, pike, and rock bass. We have fished in sunshine and rain. Wet wading and while floating on the raft.
I’m holding the first trout Isla has ever seen and helped me catch.
Our first outing together happened early last May. I took her out on a warm sunny morning to chase trout on my favorite local trout river. We waded into the water with her strapped to my chest. It wasn’t long before we had pulled up a few trout running a double nymph rig. I smiled as I waded through the water where I learned how to fly fish holding my daughter close. After a couple hours, on our way off the river, I switched over to an elk hair caddis and found success with a nice brown trout on the last run.
Dry fly fishing is always fun but even more special with my daughter.
Later on during the spring, Isla and I headed out to the river in search of smallmouth bass. We found a few in some fast runs but the big catch of the day was a northern pike in slow water. My favorite part of this day happened, whether consciously or not, when Isla reached out and grabbed the rod with the pike pulling at the line. Luckily, I had my phone handy and took a video of the sequence. After a safe release, we made our way home. Nothing was going to get better than that.
Releasing this northern pike caught with Isla was a truly memorable experience.
For my first Fathers Day, my wife surprised me with a planned date of packing a lunch and taking Isla and the raft out for a float. It was the perfect Fathers’s Day gift. We floated a short section of the Kalamazoo river with Isla and a fly rod rigged and ready. I made a few casts to the bank as we floated and connected with a few nice smallmouth bass. It was an absolute joy to be out on the water with my family. This was a day I truly will never forget.
Father’s Day could not have been any better than floating down the river with my wife and child.
The last highlight involving my daughter was spent fishing on a rainy day. We were stuck in the house and needed to get out. The weather was hot and humid and I figured a little rain wouldn’t hurt Isla or I. Our skin is waterproof after all! After packing a bag of dry clothes, diapers, and fly rods, we made our way to the river. With Isla secured in my chest harness, I put a hat on her head, donned a raincoat to “cover” us, and waded into the river. The fishing was slow, but that wasn’t the point. We caught a few rock bass but more importantly we created another memory. She’s too young to understand this point, but in time she’ll learn.
Big smiles for Isla, rain or shine!
Year 2023 was a wonderful 12 months with lots of learning, challenges, growth, and cherished memories. As I look forward to 2024, I hope to have many more memorable moments and have the opportunity to share them with my family and all of you.
Cheers and Happy New Year,
Allen