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I happened to be thinking about an old piece of cross-stitching that read:
"Ve get too soon old, unt too late schmart"
Getting old has not come easy for me. Like most folks who make
it into their sixties, the aches and pains become part of every
day. A few trips to the operating room are thrown in and we continue
to plug along. Hopefully, we learn a few things along the way. If you
are reading this then you have an interest in flyfishing. I'm going
to share something I learned that might help a husband avoid a divorce.
My wife, Mary Ann and I had some Delta Senior Flight Coupons that
were about to expire. Therefore, before the end of this last April,
we planned a short trip to Lee's Ferry in Arizona. Flying on Delta's
system, we were able to get from Butte Montana to Saint George, Utah.
From Saint George, we rented a car and took in the scenery along the
way. I used the Internet to arrange for a guide and was a little
concerned since I knew nothing about him. In past fishing trips
where my wife joined me, the destinations were always where there
was warm water and white sandy beaches. Of course, conditions at
Lee's Ferry require something much more than a bathing suit and
sunscreen. I showed my wife some of the photos that appeared on
websites that dealt with the area. To my surprise, she said she
would consider fishing too! Not since our children were just
entering their teens did she even attempt to use a flyrod. Never
the less, I packed an extra rod and reel and loaded almost a hundred
newly tied flies in a box for her.
Here is where my age paid off. I have learned that husbands who
try to teach their wives to flycast become clients of divorce
lawyers. A fisherman's wife will learn best if she is taught by
someone else, not her husband. So upon our arrival at the boat
ramp where we were to meet our guide Mike Ritz, I asked him to
devote his time instructing my wife. He told me he understood
and once we reached our first fishing spot, he took charge and
when I went off on my own, he began his tutoring. We were separated
by about a hundred yards. I would turn my head to look over to
the teacher and student and found myself smiling as I saw my wife
hunched over, mending line and looking like an old pro. We changed
spots a few times and each time Mike was beside my wife in his
coaching position. As the day progressed however, I would see
him using his landing net on one of the pretty Colorado River Rainbows.
Not only was my wife looking like a pro, she was catching fish like
a pro.
Our two days there ended too quickly. On our first day, my wife
caught twice as many fish as I did. On the second day, she landed
a 21-½ inch Rainbow and I could only stretch 19 inches from my
biggest. The fishing results were good, but we lucked out and had
a wonderful guide who not only taught my wife to handle a flyrod
like a pro, but had her heading home wanting to fish again.
Dare I say "I got old, unt schmart too?" In addition, it
looks like we will celebrate our 47th wedding anniversary this
coming winter. ~ Don Cianca
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