Nervous Waters

Today was a GREAT day.  I got to do something that I have wanted to try for the past 3 years, but really had absolutely no idea how to go about it.  For a really long time I have wanted to learn how to fly fish.  Finally, about a month or so ago I decided it was time to dig in.  I am about as beginner as one could possibly get.  I got some gear, found some willing souls to help me and found a pond that I have claimed as my own.  Today I got to go to McClellanville with Mr. Shuford and the Shu Fly Too.  I could barely sit through church this morning because I was about to explode with excitement.  We hit the road to McClellanville.  Now, I will be honest.  I have been working on my cast for like a solid month now and thought I had made some good progress.  Sike.  Oh Well.  It is a lot different being on the bow of the boat than it is on the side of a little pond in the Old Village.  Honestly, I was just super pumped to be out on the water.  It was beautiful.  I can't even really do it justice.  You will just have to see it for yourself.

So far, I'm not so good at fly fishing.  But it is OK.  I truly like the whole experience.  Don't get me wrong-I would have loved to have had a duel with a redfish, but it will happen.  The whole experience is just plain awesome.  We put the boat in and put the hammer down to get to stop #1.  We fished a little bank with some spinning rods, but didn't see a lot of fish moving.  So we packed it in and headed to a flat a little farther out. This is where I threw my first fly ever.  The first one- didn't get too far, but after some good instruction I made a little progress.  We still have mountains to climb though my friends.  I could have stood on that bow ALL DAY LONG.  I learned so much.  I saw a couple of fish pushing toward us, but they were a no go.  Then he taught me how to look for "nervous water."  Which is water going out of sink with the natural wind and waves.  So cool.  It's so serene out there. You can hear the water lapping up against the boat.  The sound of the boat cruising across the flat along with the sound of the pole is just so good to my ears.  If you quiet yourself enough, you can hear just about anything.  You can hear a fish spook just yards away.  I think the whole sight casting process is amazing. Mr. Shuford can see fish that are so far away.  Me- not so much, but I can't wait to get better at that.  After poling down the flat, we decided to push on to another spot.  One of my all time other favorite times is cutting through the water, winding through the waterways, with the hammer down.  Especially in a flats boat because you are so close to the water and you can hear the boat cutting through the water with each turn.  And you are surrounded by water and marsh grass.  It is mesmerizing.  To me at least.  We tried another spot with the fly, but we didn't see a lot moving.  I've also decided that Mr. Shuford is like the fishing McGyver.  That's right.  He has little homemade tricks and techniques.  And he is a really good teacher.  And he said I can be invited back which puts him as a #1 in my book... We tried one more spot, but had no luck.  The sun started to set and I just couldn't help myself.  I had to bust out my camera.  I know there is probably some unspoken rule or understanding about not taking a lot of pics while fishing or in the woods, but I just can't help it.  I'm addicted to taking pictures.  The skyline was stunning.  I couldn't help myself.  I wish I could do that every single day.  So all in all, it was a pretty great day.  Good company, majestic scenery and learning a whole lot.  I can't wait to go again.  I haven't even come close to catching a fish, but this girl is 100% addicted.

It's been reel fly,

SRS