Columbia, MO -(AmmoLand.com)- MidwayUSA is excited to announce the release of “My First Fly Rod” a short story by Larry Potterfield, Founder and CEO of MidwayUSA.
“Some of my fondest memories are the hunting and fishing stories Dad and my uncles shared with us kids back then – generally around the wood stove, and other times in the field,” said Larry Potterfield, Founder and CEO of MidwayUSA. “Unfortunately, it was pure and simple storytelling, so all I have are the memories. Now, as a father and grandfather and having hunted and fished all my life, I am taking the time to write down some of my own stories – for the enjoyment of my children, grandchildren, friends and Customers. These are all real stories that I participated in, nothing is made up; and I write them purely for your enjoyment.”
Read “My First Fly Rod” here: http://media.midwayusa.com/cms/larrys-stories/2016_6/151_my-first-fly-rod.pdf.
My First Fly Rod
by Larry Potterfield
Dad never owned a fly rod; for him catching fish was more about filling the frying pan rather than just having fun. However, from the many fishing stories he told, no one would ever think for a minute that he didn’t enjoy fishing.
His equipment was simple; a cane or willow pole or an old bait casting outfit suited him just fine. Carp and catfish were often his target species; not particularly what one would call game fish.
But I’m of another generation; for me, catching fish is purely a matter of having fun. In my adult life, there’s never been a time that I fished just to get something to eat. So, for me at least, the tools and techniques of fishing are much more important than they were for dad.
My first fly rod was a Wright & McGill, fiberglass, seven weight that I bought on closeout when a local hardware store was going out of business, about 1970. Also, I bought all of their flies (dry flies), for 10 cents each. The rod was a bit much for the rainbow trout I bought it for, and knowing very little about fly fishing – and having only dry flies – I fished without much success. This was likely to my good fortune, because if I’d caught lots of fish with that fly rod, maybe fishing would have been more important to me than guns and hunting. Who knows what I’d be doing today? It was much later in life that I got a Sage five weight and began to learn how to use it to catch rainbow trout – with reasonable effectiveness.
Now a fly rod and reel is an interesting piece of equipment; conceived and assembled properly, it can be a piece of art – and sometimes costs as much. Someone once said that fly rods and Purdey shotguns have a lot in common – just holding them is reward enough; you don’t actually have to shoot the Purdey or catch fish with the fly rod to enjoy them.
There are a handful of unique casting principles that I’ve tried to master, to look good when fly fishing. It’s all about tightening up the line, lifting it out of the water, throwing it behind you, waiting till it straightens out, then putting it back in the water at the desired location. Sounds simple, and it is; just not necessarily easy.
I’ve always worried about my ears.
To read the rest of Larry’s Short Stories, please visit http://www.midwayusa.com/larrys-stories.
About MidwayUSA:
Both country kids from Missouri, Larry and Brenda Potterfield turned their passion for shooting sports into a career by opening a small gun shop in 1977 that would eventually become MidwayUSA (http://www.midwayusa.com). They instilled family values like honesty, integrity and respect for others into the business, and strive to maintain this culture with each Employee added to their growing team. For over 38 years, MidwayUSA has maintained an unyielding focus on Customer Satisfaction and continues to offer JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING for Shooting, Hunting and the Outdoors.
For more information on MidwayUSA, visit their website (http://www.midwayusa.com), find them on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/OfficialMidwayUSA), or follow them on Twitter (http://twitter.com/midwayusa).