About five years ago, I started a side-business called St. Louis Stream Adventures. Since I had over thirty years of teaching and fly-fishing experience, I felt comfortable enough combining two of my three passions into one, offering tours and lessons. The Missouri Ozark “Mountains” with their lush green hills and crystal-clear streams provide often overlooked fly-fishing gems.
I had been a teacher and principal for a small school of emotionally troubled teenagers, many with neurological impairments. As you might imagine, that left my own judgement slightly impaired, and I embraced the delusion that I could be a successful hard-core salesman of extra bright florescent lights. That lasted about six months before I returned to teaching, this time as an adjunct, a college composition teacher. But I kept my fishing side-business and created AskWriteFish. Generally, ask = presentations and teaching, write = my own writing, and fish = St. Louis Stream Adventures, fly-fishing tours and lessons. As may seem obvious, this blog focuses on “fish.”
The concept is simple. Fly-fishing does not need to be intimidating. You can learn to cast while you are catching fish and catching fish makes learning fast and fun. Wading clear streams in the Missouri Ozarks, you can almost be guaranteed a fish on a fly rod. St. Louis Stream Adventures was featured in St. Louis Small Business Monthly, The Current News, and St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Everybody assumes that a fly-fisherman has to be a total maniac, go after only trout, invest in all the waders and major equipment, and tie your own flies. I don’t agree with that thinking. You can stand in a stream, enjoy nature and relish the experience. I want to keep it simple.”
I encourage St. Louis “tourists” to try something different from sitting around the hotel pool, or visiting the arch with relatives, or eating too much Italian food on the hill… again. The city is great, but why neglect the surrounding countryside? While I thought this made sense, almost all of my clients to date live in the area, and they are astonished at the fantastic fly-fishing adventures within an hours drive of their home city. They often assumed that fly-fishing meant catching only trout at remote parks at least three hours out of town. Many stood shoulder to shoulder with other fanatics on opening day of trout season. Others have gone on fly-fishing trips thousands of miles away, only to catch a few here and there. However, with St. Louis Stream Adventures, they caught plenty of fish on a cheap fly rod with cheap gear. Travel expenses were also diminished a bit.
I realize this blog is starting to sound like an advertisement, so I’d better shift gears. Besides, on my FISH page, I clearly state that I am “no longer giving lessons or guiding unless you are a former client or can talk me into it.” My intent is to provide simple information for you to enjoy fly-fishing without the hassle. Look for a Part II blog soon.
