After guiding full time for 15 years, some clients become very good friends. In February I lost one of those friends. Arvid Knutsen always made me laugh. Sometimes I would fall to the deck laughing so hard. His was a self-deprecating humor. Booking his first trip with me many years ago, he told me he had never caught a bass with a guide. He was willing to learn and researched me as the guy for the job. On our first trip Arvid did catch “a” fish. I could see that he had a long way to go and I told him I could see why he had never caught a bass with a guide. He said “Understood”, smiled and our friendship began. Fishing once or twice the first year, then eventually every Friday, we hit the water and had fun! He improved slowly, very slowly, but quickly I learned he was really out to enjoy himself. If he caught fish, so much the better. On days where I would have normally canceled due to poor conditions, Arvid would ask what he could expect to catch; I replied “One, if you are lucky!” He accepted the challenge and would catch one. And he would spend the day and months ahead quoting me, including my accurate prediction. Arvid was so excited about getting on the water; he would arrive at the dock in a total panic. Running late was routine. Tangled line and tackle started every trip. I would get him to a fishing spot and prepare his gear for the day. Often I would go to his house to organize his tackle as he kept bringing more and more gear onto the boat. Rain or shine, he even packed rain gear! I admired his stick to it attitude! No matter the…
After spending 6 weeks packing and planning for a 6-day trip to Raleigh, NC and then to Erie, PA, I awoke to freezing rain. Will my flights be late or cancelled? Airlines are on time just about as often as a teenager to an algebra class right after lunch. Hard to imagine why my airline advertises 80% on time performance. If anticipation of traveling 6 days wasn’t enough, how do I pack dual-climatized garments for balmy Raleigh and Erie’s frozen ponds? Guys have no problem packing shoeless. Wear what you’ve got on. Fit over fashion! Pounding show pavement or walking on thin ice requires wearing comfy shoes and packing boots. Even stuffed with socks they become an issue. A rather ambitious trip for me, the much less than frequent flyer. Airport prepared, plastic belt buckle, small tube of toothpaste and shoeless, of course I was chosen for a suitcase search. Just once I’d like to put some wet underwear for them to feel, likely resulting in a less than comfortable search. To say I dislike flying, especially with today’s unfriendly skies, is akin to a toddler rejecting broccoli. The first travel leg was to Raleigh to emcee a two-day Bass University with top bass pros. The last time I attended one of these events they used overhead projectors, placing items on lighted screens to cast a shadow image. Nowadays, younger polished presenters employ advanced Power Points and videos! Anglers pay $100 a day to hear 3 pros conduct two seminars each. Departing Raleigh at 0600, I was headed to Erie, PA for ice fishing. I was lost in the concept of walking onto frozen water to drill a hole, waiting for frozen fish to bite. I expected to reel in Mrs. Paul’s. FLW Kellogg’s pro Dave Lefebre took me from…