I Catch My First Trout Fly Fishing

My husband discovered fishing off the Charles River as a pandemic activity that we enjoyed together. We took our dog for a walk. I would either paint in watercolor, walk around with my dog for exercise, or I would forage in the woods, at least trying to identify the natural edibles using an app called “Picture This.”

We eventually decided to give fly fishing a try and hired Bernie Saggau from Berkshire Rivers Fly Fishing, a fly fishing guide in the Berkshires. Bernie is awesome. He’s very patient. Those lines are awfully easy to tangle when one casts poorly.

This was my fourth time fly fishing with Bernie, and my first time catching an actual trout. I have caught other fish in the Housatonic River, but the trout is the prize. We practice catch and release; the Housatonic is polluted and I would not advise eating fish from it.

She’s not a big fish, but she is my very first trout. I am looking forward to warmer weather and one more fly-fishing trip with Bernie before he threatens to quit the business for a full-time job in Iowa where he manages construction projects. That will be a sad day!

How about you? Do you like to fish? What do you like to catch?