GUIDE’S CORNER: It Affects Us All

It is hard to shake the thought of just how the cool September mornings of the One Fly have managed to work their way into my psyche and influence the way I manage my typical guide days of summer. Or is it the other way around?  The One Fly is different but also the same.  It’s an evolution and also an influence, and the competition brings something new.

“Keep your friends close and enemies closer.” No better way to stay close than in the confines of a drift boat! It sure is easy to see the logic in that statement, and I have a pretty good idea of how it was intended. Keep them close so you can outwit them and defeat them in the end.  After seeing the inner workings of the One Fly since 2015, my perspective on drift boat fishing as a whole has changed and dramatically shaped the way I guide on a normal day.  The spirit of the One Fly turns that age-old logic on its head and sheds new light on Machiavelli's words.  I have witnessed the classic celebrations – the high fives over my head with the landing of a good fish. I have seen contestants grab one another's flies out of “fast growing” tree branches. I have even seen the front of the boat angler step on a gravel bar for fifteen to twenty minutes while a boat was walked back upstream and rowed across a channel on three different attempts to retrieve a fly. Not only was he patient, he was also rooting the retrieval on. I have heard of an angler who barely even cast before lunchtime while he watched his boat mate raise fish all throughout the early morning, trusting the guide's recommendation, then proceeded to fill a scorecard in the final minutes of the day!  Sure, “Keep your enemies close”, not for conquest but because, in this setting, teamwork is truly the way to win.   

And every competition needs rules and consequences, right?  The checks and balances of the scoring system are set in place to keep things fair, to keep the competitive aspect of the event. The guide judges each contestant.  The contestants are there to keep tabs on one another. It’s a system built to enforce the rules.  However, in all the years I have witnessed the One Fly unfold from the middle seat, I have seen far more amazing examples of cooperation than I have seen violation sheets filled out! I have always said that a drift boat is a three-person team. That simple concept has lent itself to more successful experiences in the event than any other. I have seen new friendships formed, relationships grow, and many examples of mutual respect. But more than anything, I have seen comradery and the formation of shared memories. 

The One Fly is unique, and some may say a bit strange in a sport that is often about solitude and silence and sanctuary. For me, it is both an extension of and an influence on my day-to-day reality.  The pressure of choosing that magic fly, the anticipation of how many “pet fish” we can trick that day, the remarkable irony of how a day of not changing flies does not require less work or less gear but a tremendous amount more. The extra rods, line, leaders, and tippet per person… Maybe even multiple nets! These are just some of the details that stick in my mind, the mental checklists, the energizing and anxiety-inducing buzz that surrounds competition. That pulse, that electricity has always been a strong driving force for me, and nowhere do I feel it more strongly than on those early Autumn days. But, it should feed us, not create stress or division.  So, put all the anxiety to rest and let your guide be your conscience. After all, we are all here, win, lose, or draw, to save our fish and protect their habitats!