Don’t get me wrong! I love teaching new guys how to fly fish (and yes, even the “experienced” ones). I am in my “element” or as Michael Jordan used to say, “in the Zone.” But once in a while, just every so often, I need to get out with a close friend and soak in God’s glory with the fishing and the catching.

I, Kenny Klimes, asked one of my best friends , Jim Craig, if he would join me in an escape to the river to fish. No parks for us but the challenge of the Current River. We met with two cars. Put one at Baptist Camp parking area and the drove the other to our starting point at Tan Vat. So, from Tan Vat to Baptist Camp we would fish the entire stretch of the river. Few get to do this, so it was our chance to see if our techniques were spot on. Yes, the fishing is tougher outside the parks and it is a beautiful place to fish to evaluate your skills.

I picked my area to start fishing at Tan Vat before Jim had a chance. Mistake. I fished the area that was right across from the parking lot on the far side southern shoreline. This spot has always brought me 2-4 fish every time. But not this time – but that is ok because I was in deep solitude – in peace. Jim headed down stream to the 80-yard run where big browns live if you can fool them. And he did! Two nice browns in the net before I could get to him. Ouch, that hurt my ego – not really – I was extremely excited for him. Remember he was once my “student.” I felt like the master from the TV show Kung Foo. “Grasshopper, when you can take the pebble from my hand you too will be a master.” Bam, the pebble is gone!!

We both stayed close as we fished our way to Baptist camp. Each passing the other in the river when one would hang up and have to re-tie. We caught a mixture of Browns and Rainbows most in the 10” – 13” range but Jim pulled in two very nice Browns early in the day and a nice rainbow at the end. The big rainbow I caught I lost when I tried to take a selfie of myself and my catch. I just am no good at taking fish selfies. Guess I need to take a class.

When we hit the parking lot at Baptist Camp it was around 2pm and Jim and I were thinking alike – let’s hit below the cable before going home. So, we did. While driving to the Montauk campground to walk outside the park we heard someone yelling, “Kenny, Hey, Kenny” as we passed the campground area. There was Larry Farrar, with a fish on, waving his hands as best he could while bringing in a fish. Jim and I yelled out to him that we were going to fish below the cable. Unfortunately, Larry was headed home early so we never met up. But Jim and I caught fish right off the bat below the cable. We fished for another two hours and stopped as we passed the 90-degree left bend in the river.

We joined up and walked to the car talking about how it was a great day. I told Jim since he out fished me that I would buy him dinner. He picked the Pizza Inn in Salem. After dinner we parted ways for home. I love fishing with other guys and rarely fish alone or with just one other, but this time I just needed to unwind and fish in solitude. Thanks Jim, yes, it was a great day.