Past, Present & Pie
I was never convinced of what age a man could be considered old. Now that I receive a monthly check from Social Security, I feel that when someone says that “old guy” in referring to me, they are accurate. I am not whining, just stating the facts as I see them. I have discovered that I am reflecting and pondering more and more about my past and how that has created who I am today. I know there is more road in my rear view mirror than there is looking out of my windshield. I have been thinking about what I have inherited and what I might pass on to the next generation. In terms of inheritance, I am not talking about my Morrett ears or anything else one might consider genetic in nature. For instance, from my Dad, I am carrying on his love of fishing and his strong belief that Men should have short haircuts. From my Mom, take care of your children and your children’s children until you die. I am sure there is more but they may be just offshoots of the two main themes, fishing and family. For me, Faith has become the number one priority and everything else, if applied correctly, seems to fall in line. My best example of this came from a sermon I heard years back. The Pastor said, and I paraphrase his sermon, Faith in God and a relationship with Him is the whole pie and everything else in life are but pieces that make up the whole. Any piece of life we might be endeavoring to consume will have the flavor and aroma of God if He is the main ingredient. Good words that made sense to me then and still do today.
Making Family My Business
Just like my Dad, I do not have what the world would call or consider generational wealth to pass on. I have been blessed to have been able to provide a comfortable lifestyle for my family. With that being said, my kids and more than likely their children will need to work to make a living. I believe that is the way it is supposed to be and I make no apologies for that reality. I guess I inherited that as well. The official formation of our company, Morrett Fly Fishing, was greatly inspired by my wife, Melanie Morrett, and my son-in-law, Andy Baker. These two Senior partners convinced me that although a bundle of cash was not coming when I roll six, I needed to record and pass on some generational wealth as it pertains to lessons learned during my abundance of time spent either walking in or floating on water in pursuit of trout. Maybe they just got tired of trying to remember my stories.
Nonetheless, with the combination of Mel’s creative and spiritual guidance, Andy and CreativeFuse’ digital branding excellence, Eva the muse, and an old Trout Bum with a lot of stories, here we are today. I would like to take this opportunity to point out and thank the other associates that continue to inspire and contribute to our Mission Statement, “Faith, Family, Fly Fishing, these are the ties that bind”. Our “Toothy Predator” department is managed by Ben, Nicole, and Ruey Morrett. Although Rue is on assignment in China at this time, our prayers are that she will be joining us stateside as soon as possible. We need her on staff at the home office and on home waters. Our organizational and voice of reason department is Sarah Baker’s main responsibility. Coupled with a “one fish is all I need” mindset and the fact she is the second best Mom I have ever known gets her a full share of the business. Lila Baker is in charge of the “Did everyone see that? Good, because I’ll not be doing it again” department. Entertainment is her speciality as she develops a more contemplative approach to fly fishing. Lila lifts the morale of any room the moment she walks in. My co-tier in the Custom Fly department is my oldest Granddaughter Eva Baker. Eva and I inspire each other in regards to fly tying. She is truly passionate in terms of her creations and truly believes that the more you know about a bug the better you can imitate a bug. Her imagination is unmatched at the vise and she continues to stretch my desire to learn because she wants to know. In our fly fishing department, Eva is our young Jedi that keeps us in touch with the younger set and keeps us all connected with a childlike faith. Thank you “Eva Bug” for your leadership. I must mention that Willow Brook, our miniature schnauzer pup, has assumed the role of head of security as Rambo the Mountain Pug enjoys retirement in the mountains of North Carolina. I am working on the problem I have with loving the two pups more than some people. I am a work in progress as is our Company. I know both will grow. I have Faith, Family, and Fly Fishing.
Hooked on Summer
Our Summer fly fishing report from the Spring Creek has been a hoot! I had the great opportunity to introduce fly fishing for trout to several different age groups with a few more booked in September. Melanie was able to co-guide on one of the trips and she did a great job of teaching, tying, and netting. Brown, Rainbow, Brook, and Tiger trout were all brought to the net and hero shots followed. So cool to be able to help someone with the fundamentals in the morning then to watch them get a big boy on the reel and in the net that afternoon. This can be a once in a lifetime, bucket list kind of experience. Thank you to all my new fishing friends from the last couple of months.
I have been more intentional than ever in regards to daily reports as they occur on the Mad River via Facebook. I hope this has helped in terms of being at the right place, at the right time, with the right fly. Spending time a few hours a week in the shop at ReelFlyRod has been great in regards to River information coming in and going out. The featured fly patterns that have been proven to be successful can be found in the Custom Fly Section, as well as a pretty complete listing of flies available. Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions by email, text, or phone. We really do love to help.
As usual, I am thinking about what is next in regards to trout fishing on Home waters. The Spring Creek trips I have coming up will no doubt have smiles and photos involved. I hope the fishing is as good on the Mad River as it has been all Summer. We hope to encounter plenty of brown trout rising to terrestrials through the end of September. October should be Caddis time running through November. Keep an eye out on Facebook and you will find updates on a weekly basis.
Thank you so much for your interest and support. Remember to listen to the sound of the river and you will get a trout.
