Chris;
Last summer I gave a #24 Trico tyed by Ny Angler to a youngster fly fishing on the Au Sable River. It’s sort of a long story but I got to see him catch his first trout on that fly!! He was awestruck! I showed him to wet his hand before removing the hook and how to release it. His mother was very grateful for my help and as I was leaving I heard a lot of yelling!! He had caught another!! From New York to Michigan to a very excited young flyfisher!! What a thrill!! 
As always Chris a good read and so true. I get more kick out of teaching someone how to fish than I do fishing.
Little kids make great students. Unless you ask one of the girls to take the fish off. :lol:
It does add something when you can look back and honestly say you came out of your shell and met someone new today.
Everytime we head to the lake or river, there is a chance to help a newcomer. I wish I would have been more helpful in years past. I remember a time where I was fishing a small stream and two men came along with their young sons. I was having pretty good success at that time and felt like I wanted to keep it that way. Well, before I knew it, I had four people fishing within twenty feet of me. Needless to say I was a little upset when there is miles of river up and downstream from me and they chose my right shoulder to set up at. I was still catching fish, they were small, but the hole I was fishing was full of them. One of the young boys was closest to me and was getting frustrated because of the fish I was getting. He asked what I was using, and my response was(this is where it gets embarassing)“the one that works.” This was a number of years ago. I was just mad at his father because he put his son right next to me. The child was not at fault and if I was a true fly fisherman I would have given him the fly I was using and spent time showing him how to use it. I was young, selfish, and certainly not someone to look up to. I never forget that day and I share information with every newcomer to our sport because I and everyone else was in those same shoes. Be a teacher, be a leader, and be a friend.
Sometimes it works the other way around too. I went to a place nearby that I had wanted to fish and was just learning the lay of the land. An older fellow was just finishing up and I ventured to go over and talk with him. Not looking for anything other than a hello. Well I was sure fooled. I had met one of the old men of that river who knew every rock and every hole there was. He pointed out to me when to fish this side and when to fish that, which holes were better for dry flies and which for wet. Then he told me of a place that is easy access and not generally known to many. Suffice it to say he was more gracious than I could imagine. Since then I have shared that wisdom with others as he had with me. All he knew about me is that I had a flyrod in hand.
I have since found he is having trouble standing in the currents and has been fishing less and less. I offered to go out with him any time he wanted and to be his leaning post. Next spring I have a trip in mind with a guide friend that has a drift boat. Then he can sit and fish. I owe him and would quite frankley love to sit at his knee for a day and soak up the information he has gathered over the years.
What goes around comes around.
jed