Running from the Law: Mac Goes Fly Fishing

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Mac Goes Fly Fishing

If you know my husband (or have been reading this blog for any length of time), you know that Ryan is a fly fishing junkie.  He started fly fishing when he was a kid, fished all through college and law school and sneaks off multiple times a year to exotic locations to fish.  He will talk about fly fishing to anyone that will listen, offer to take you and teach you if you don't know how.  He even gave me waders for Christmas the first year we dated as an attempt to inaugurate me into his world.  He fly fished out East on our very first vacation together, in Hawaii on our post-bar celebration trip, on our wedding day in Jackson Hole, on our honeymoon in Belize and in Vail on our first anniversary trip. Needless to say, fly fishing is a significant part of who he is and has been a huge part of our relationship.  
Ryan serves on the Board of Directors of Trout Unlimited's Gateway Chapter in St. Louis and this year they held a youth outing to teach kids how to fly fish.  Unlike regular (spinning rod) fishing, fly fishing requires a lot more skill and technique for casting, so it's not as easy for a little kid (or me) to get the hang of.  TU held the event at a place called Westover Farms, where the streams are small and stocked with trout.  Westover Farms has a super cute (although that's probably not the description they would use) section of small stream fishing, which is great for little ones because it allows the kids to fish from the shore without having to wade in the water.  The stream is full of catch and release rainbow trout, making it perfect for beginners. 
Since the moment we found out we were having a boy, my husband has been dreaming of the day when he can take his son fly fishing for the first time.  In the last year, Mac has become quite a good little fisherman on a spinning rod.  He loves casting, watching his bobber, setting the hook and reeling in fish (whether real or imaginary...doesn't really matter to him).  The TU youth event was aimed at kids between the ages of 6-15, but Ryan was confident that Mac (at 2) was ready!  Ryan got Mac his very first fly rod and they began practice casting in the street in front of our house.  Mac did pretty well, but his attention span is about 35 seconds long, so it was iffy whether he'd be ready for an all-day fishing event, but Ryan again had faith in his progeny.  So, on the morning of the event, we packed up the kiddos and headed down the highway to Westover.  
Most of the kids there were quite a bit older than Mac and I'm sure the other parents probably thought we were a little crazy to bring a preschooler (and a baby) to this event.  And actually, I was a little nervous myself, but Mac was so excited to be there with his daddy and fly fish for the first time.  It was adorable and I was thrilled to be there to capture the moment.  I strapped Mim on my back in the carrier and got my camera out and ready as the boys got their gear together and headed toward the stream.  
Ryan got Mac set-up and ready and they began to fish.  Ryan is such a patient teacher when it comes to fishing.  He showed Mac where to cast and how to watch the indicator.  He put him in the right spot and pointed out the fish.  And then (because Mac's like me and insists on doing everything BY HIMSELF) he just let Mac go.  Mac would cast and watch as his line floated downstream.  Then he'd recast and watch, like he'd been fishing all his life.  And just like that, our little 2 year-old fishing prodigy caught and landed his very first rainbow trout on a fly rod!  
The entire place erupted in applause for Mac as he alternated between reeling in his fish and jumping up and down with excitement.  Everyone was stunned that this tiny kid just caught his first fish!  Mac was innundated with whistles, clapping and high-fives from all the volunteers.  The look on his face was a combination of shock and amazement!  But that was nothing compared to the look of joy and pride on Ryan's face. 

And with that, Mac was hooked.  He wanted more.  A lot more.  These two spent the rest of the day fishing with quite a bit of success.  Mim and I followed them around taking pictures and I was incredibly impressed with Mac's concentration, persistence and enthusiasm over the next 4 hours!  He is his dad's boy.  
I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship...
And just to prove that Mim and I really were there.
She wore her fishing gear too.
Thanks so much to the Gateway Chapter of Trout Unlimited and Westover Farms for this great event. 
Trout Unlimited is a not-for-profit organization with the the goal to protect, reconnect, restore and sustain cold-water fisheries across the country.  They depend on local donations to help fund their grassroots efforts to protect more than 10,000 river miles nationwide and pioneer new scientific, legal and legislative tools to make America's rivers cleaner and healthier.  If you'd like to make a donation, please visit their website

26 comments:

  1. Your hubby looks so proud!! What a wonderful day they spent together!! Love it!

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  2. This is the best!! You all are such a wonderful, fun family. Great photos!!

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  3. Oh my gosh, Sara! What a fun post! I'm all smiles over here. You caught - ha see what I did there? - so many great pictures! Your husband looks SO proud - Mac too! How fun for him to pass on such a unique and special hobby!

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  4. Beautiful pictures! Way to go, Mac!!

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  5. What a great day for Mac and Ryan! I can just imagine how proud you both were of him :) Sounds like he's going to be a great fisherman!

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  6. What a special weekend! Wonderful photos!

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  7. Wow, what an adventure! Mac looks like he is just loving that time with Dad. I really do love it. Beautiful! :)

    Mandie ~ http://badbrewpack.blogspot.com/

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  8. This is amazing! I honestly don't know who looks happier, Mac or Ryan! Will Ryan take BTR and teach him how to fly fish? It's something he's always wanted to try but we seriously have no idea where to start!

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  9. Oh this is just great! I'm sure Mac thought he was just so cool hanging with Daddy & fishing. I'm sure Ryan was on cloud 9. Just think of all the fishing trips those two will experience as Mac gets older. Just think of the trouble you & Mim could get into while the boys are away. ;)

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  10. I can't believe he caught a fish!! Good for him!

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  11. Love this! A proud Mac and an even prouder papa - so sweet!! My hubby has become an avid fisherman over the past 2-3 years and has taken Lucy along with him quite a few times. I'm sure she'll go with him a lot more now that she's getting older. I remember the first time she caught a fish (with her pink princess fishing rod, of course). It was such an awesome moment. and the coolest part is seeing how much she loves taking part in something her daddy loves so much :) PS- I'm wondering if my comments actually go through to you because I get an email each time saying that my message could not be delivered. So weird.

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  12. Oh my goodness, that is awesome! I love Max's expression when reeling in his fish. Your hubby looks so proud too. So many fishing days ahead of them.

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  13. Now those are some fantastic pictures! Such a great family day full of surprises. I'm sure words can't even explain how elated Ryan was when he helped Mac catch his first fish. Mac looks like he really enjoyed the event too! The start of many boys trips perhaps?

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  14. I'm sure it didn't matter Mac's age, your hubby looks so proud to have you all there with him. A dream come true!

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  15. the pictures of your husband and son are SOO cute! and that is so funny he gave you waders for Christmas when you were dating :) boys are so funny!!

    Xo
    Candace
    Lovely Little Rants

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  16. Go Mac, Go!!! I must say that your previous Mac fishing pictures led me astray. My dad asked to take Reed fishing at the creek by their house. I thought of Mac rocking it and said, "Sure!!". Reed lasted about 2 solid minutes before wandering off and throwing rocks into the water. Mac is a true little fisherman!

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  17. Eek, these pictures are just priceless. Loving how Mac is being introduced to it young & succeeding already!

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  18. Aww I looove this SO much!! How incredibly sweet & cute!! So awesome that Mac did so good fishing that day!! Also, this makes me look forward to the relationship & fun Matt & Jack will have!

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  19. This is soooo sweet, my hubby's dream cone true if we have a boy one day!

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  20. Oh my goodness! GO MAC!!!! I am so impressed and proud of him! And I bet Ryan was OVER THE MOON during the whole adventure! Dreams do come true!

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  21. What a fun day!! I hope the first fish caught picture gets framed for an office!! How exciting!

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  22. What a SUPER proud daddy (and momma) moment!! Awesome pictures, Sara. You captured the day beautifully. My husband fly fishes also and I'm sure is looking forward to the day he can take Tys out, which we may need to try sooner than later, super impressed by Mac's skills..!!

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  23. This is beyond awesome. I love Ryan's passion for the sport, and how incredibly awesome that he gets to share and teach all of this to Mac!
    And serious props to Mac for being the greatest little fly-fisherman around!!

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  24. That is so amazing! I can't believe he caught a fish!!!! and it looks like two actually from the later photos! That is such a great father-son experience. They look like two peas in a pod! What a great day and promps to Mim for being such a trooper!

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  25. YAY MAC!! Can I tell you though, my first reaction when he caught the fish was "ewwww he's touching it!" hahahaha. Awesome experience!

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  26. LOVE that he caught a fish himself! So cool!! You can see just how proud daddy was of him. Carter is obsessed with fishing (because his daddy is too!) but we have yet to put a real hook on his line because the thought of that still freaks me out. I'm sure we will be there by summer though.

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