Fishing with Craig

A previous blog post alluded to the fact that Craig was quite a handy guy. Since I don't have any photos of Craig, I want to share a memory and photo of a different type of Craig's handy work.

Although Craig and I share several mutual friends, sadly, our lives rarely overlapped.  However, I had the chance to share an extended period of time with him on a fishing trip down the South Fork.  It was evident right away that Craig, Renea and Kaya have a great love for being on the river.  It was also evident right away that he was a rookie fly fisherman.  But, his reputation having preceded him as an accomplished outdoorsman, I half expected him to out fish us all.

Craig and I saddled up in Jay Beyer's boat and set off down river with Craig's, as we politely put it, "vintage" fly rod.  We were slinging flies toward the bank and enjoying the beautiful day.  Fishing can be frustrating, and having spent so little time with Craig, I didn't know what to expect.  Almost instantly I experienced his infectious love for life.  Although mostly confronted with light hearted ridicule, his overwhelming interest and inquiry into the nuances of fly fishing reinvigorated me for the sport.

I spent the first river mile with Craig's huge hopper fly buzzing my ear and following it with a, "Craig, watch your back cast!"  Fishing started off slow, but before long, Craig had hooked something big.  Me!  After an abrupt removal of Craig's fly from my arm, we continued down river.  Jay and I managed to boat a few fish along the way, but Craig remained fishless.  As we neared the end of the first day, it became a goal of the whole boat for Craig to land a fish.  We rounded a small bend and decided to explore a small side channel a few hundred yards from our first camp.  In one of his last casts of the day, Craig sent his fly towards the bank and "Fish on!"  The boat was alive with shouts of excitement and instruction.

Jay and I could have boated the biggest trout in the South Fork that day, but that little trout Craig pulled aboard would still have been the fish of the day.  Craig has left a mark on many people.  For me, that mark has a physical manifestation.  A small scar on my right forearm reminding me to love life like Craig loved life.  Tight lines Craig!  

--Jared