Rick Crawford
As I write this, it is unusually cool for June in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Naturally, with this small break from the heat my thoughts have turned to trout fishing, cool mountain air and reminiscing about my daughter’s first trip to Wyoming last July. Jodie and I decided to take our then 9-month old daughter to our old stomping grounds of Jackson Hole and I was able to take Emma Claire on her first fishing adventure.
A bit of background is that Jodie and I lived in Jackson for a few years (2008-2011), but my sustainability career path brought us back to Savannah so that I could work at a biodiesel start-up. Anyways, this would be our first trip back since 2012 and we couldn’t have been more excited to show our daughter a place that holds such a special place in our hearts.
We landed as the sun was setting behind the Tetons, and man, what a view! There are few mountains that are more breathtaking and majestic than the Tetons and seeing them for the first time in seven years was like seeing them for the first time all over again. Luckily, we have some friends who still live in Jackson and they happened to be out of town and offered us their house (thank you Emilie & Sam!) while they were out of town, so we stopped by the (new) Whole Grocer and picked up some necessities for the baby, and some Snake River Brewery beers, of course. As it turns out, Flat Creek happens to run through their neighborhood, which couldn’t have been more perfect for quick and easy fishing outings. So, after we settled in and got Emma Claire down, I sat up and enjoyed a few local indigenous beverages and planned Emma Claire’s first fishing adventure.
The next morning we woke up to the sweet smell of sage and cold Wyoming mountain air that just by breathing in seemed to set the tone and mood for the day…today would be a good day. Like any proper first fishing adventure in Jackson, we kicked off the morning with breakfast at Nora’s Fish Creek Inn so Emma Claire could experience her first taste of Nora’s blueberry pancakes, then we were off to the fly shop to pick up a fishing license and some flies, then after EC’s nap, we would head to Flat Creek. Well, truth be told, I was way too excited to feel the tug of my first Snake River Cutthroat in seven years, so I headed out on a solo mission while Emma Claire napped and caught a handful of nice trout on Parachute Adams, and a really nice cutty on a foam hopper.
Anyways, after about an hour I headed back to the house and loaded Emma Claire into the baby carrier backpack and we made the short walk down to Flat Creek for my daughter’s first fishing adventure. As we walked, the memories of living in Jackson, falling in love with my wife & the sport of fly fishing, while also discovering my passion for sustainability & protecting the environment came flooding back like June runoff. If life is nothing but a series of moments, then to have my baby girl happily heading down to the creek on my back, with fly rod in-hand, is one of those special moments.
As luck would have it, the fishing was a bit slow due to the heat, so I had to teach Emma Claire her first fishing lesson…that’s why they call it fishing and not catching. Her second lesson was that fishing isn’t about catching fish at all as were happy listening to the sound of the creek flow over boulders, the sight of the snow covered Tetons in the distance and the exotic music of birds that must have already made their way up from Mexico. Eventually, a mayfly hatch started going off, and with it, the return of dimples on the water’s surface. I explained to Emma Claire a little bit of entomology and wondered if somehow, or some way, she was absorbing some of the knowledge that took me so long to acquire? I also thought that maybe it’s better that she didn’t understand so that way she could appreciate the many future fishless days and just be grateful for simply being alive, nature’s beauty and tuning yourself to a different rhythm than those made by clocks? Finally, I thought about the impact of climate change on these trout and if Emma Claire would be able to catch these same incredible creatures with her own family someday? Then I reminded myself to heed my own advice, enjoy the moment and started casting.
My line came tight when a small Snake River Cutthroat grabbed my Parachute Adams and Emma Claire squealed with delight as the trout jumped in the air and splashed in the cool mountain creek and all of my worries were washed away as I fell in love with fly fishing for trout all over again, but for a different reason this time…showing my daughter the wonders of nature. I am proud to say she handled her first fishing adventure like a pro, and her smile that day is burned into my memory forever.
