Mothers Day 2020

Ed Note: Again this week Peter speaks to us from Headhunters HQ in Craig Montana. We all have a Mother to thank. Thanks Mom! FYI this is not Peter’s mother. Nope. But it is a mom we know from Oregon who fishes here more and more. Cassidy should be lurking around soon as we have not seen the Brant and Cassidy show yet in 2020. Thanks again to all fo the Moms out there. We love you! 

Today we are reminded of the ones we love and all the things they have done for us. With the sometimes treating statement of “ I brought you into this world” it’s clear that our mother figures are responsible for who we become in the long run. That is why I am so grateful that my mother took this east coast boy and introduced him to Montana, its waters and its trout.

She took me on my first fly fishing trip. We went to the Bighorn River in south east Montana.  I can say that my life changed a little that day, when I found out that I can see a fish feeding, stalk it, and catch that same fish.  This blew my mind. It was all over from there, like the song says, I’d never be a doctor or lawyer.

The years to follow have been riddled with impulsive fishing trips, countless fly shop receipts, classes skipped, and yes I’ve been absent every Mothers Day since I’ve been living in Montana. 

This day means a something a little different to a fly fisherman, with the famed Mothers Day caddis hatch in progress, BWOs and March browns dancing about. It’s unfortunate to the mothers of all anglers that this holiday occurs in such a prime time for a fly fisherman. While our absence does not reflect our love, the love of the river is all consuming and in any true trout bums heart cannot fight this urge. 

You will most likely only receive a river bank phone call, interrupted  by lack of service, wishing you a happy mothers day , you have given them the gift they could never re pay.

You let them fish, and with that comes a life long passion and drive for adventure.

Along the way they may get in trouble, find some debt, become heartbroken but all along they had something, that’s what fly fishing can do.

I know from my own personal experience with the fools pursuit of the next fish…somewhere along the line you will find a sense of self.

Just like that first fish on the Bighorn I get the same feeling when I see a rising fish today. I know I’m where I’m suppose to be in this world. I don’t think you can give a better gift to a kid. 

That gift comes from parents. And Mom.

So for all those Mothers of hopeless fly fisherman out there, we are sorry. We love you to the moon and back, but you can sleep happy knowing you did the best job any Mom could. Your kid is a trout bum. It has ups and downs but at least they have an appreciation for themselves, the environment, family, on the river and off.

-See you on the water, you local shop rat Pete.