COMING OF AGE IN A SMALL, SMALL WORLD

Had the good fortune of spending time with my buddy, Ryder this weekend.

Ryder, whom I introduced to steelhead fishing 6 years ago... is now a died-in-the-wool fly fisherman and spey-casting aficionado.   He's got a 4.0 GPA, a partial if not full-ride scholarship to the Seattle University, two years experience at a summer fishing lodge in Alaska and is in love with the girl of his dreams (actually a young lady who is 3 years his senior...)

WOW!  the dude's got it going on.

As providence would have it, I happened to have met Whitney Gould, an advanced, fly fisher, guide, instructor and two-time, Women's National Spey Casting champion just 2 weeks ago.

I saw her making impossible casts in the pond at the Sailor Bar launch ramp after fishing one day...  It struck me as odd.   My first thought was that she was waiting for a boat to get untrailered and then go fishing.

I asked her why with such amazing casting ability... she wasn't out on the river chasing steelhead.

She humbly offered that she was getting ready for a tournament of some kind at the Golden Gate Casting Ponds in April.

We talked a bit and everything she said and didn't say told me what a remarkable human and a real sweetheart she was~:)  Her dog, Willa reinforced this.

I told her about Ryder and how awesome it would be if they could connect.

Whit' as she is oft called, offered to meet up with Ryder and offer him free lessons.

I'm a gear guy but I subscribe to the Nemaste wisdom of fishing and know that we're all in the same family, related to the joy of Carpus Piscus (SP?).  I also knew that Ryder would be very excited about meeting someone so immersed and so accomplished in the obsession of 'Spey-O-Rama'...

Fast forward to the weekend of the ISE show at Cal Expo.

I never firmed up plans but thought I would meet Ryder at the show on Saturday.

I got distracted by fish and didn't make it.

Fortunately, Ryder took the initiative to introduce himself to Whit after a casting demo and it looks like they'll be able to hang out at the ponds next week, COOL!

The fishing end of things for Ryder and I didn't work out as any better than Superbowl plans for the Forty Niners but... owell, the best is yet to come.

Here's a couple of photos from our last outing in early December:

The often times tranquil, Arden Braids...