“Thursday morning, Johnny and I started our 7-8 hour trip to Pennsylvania. Although I seldom actually use them on guided trips, I had tied a nice little batch of Caddis, Iso and Light Cahill imitations; tying flies, learning about the flies, and envisioning all the action they would provoke has become part of my preparation ritual. My flies, our waders and boots, our homemade 2-weight and 3-weight rods (outfits we never use but don’t leave home without), winter coats, fall coats, hoodies, flannels — you never know in the beginning of November — and most importantly for this trip, rain gear was packed as neatly as could be into the back of the SUV.

My biggest fear on this trip — and maybe my biggest fear in just about everything — is that Johnny isn’t going to enjoy himself. I visualize and pray that these are good times for him, that he’ll look back and smile and think, “Hey, that was fun.” Mostly I just want him to come back and want to fish with me when he’s his own man and I’m an old man. So I kinda have a lot riding on these little jaunts, and the weather was looking ferocious: cold and rain. He’s not going to have a good time if he’s cold and wet. We pack for the worst. I get the customary grunts and eye rolls when I ask for the 23rd time if he remembered his base-layer shirt.”

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of teaching a youngster to fly fish, John Quin’s heartwarming story about his first fishing trip to the fabled Delaware River with his son will resonate with you and bring back good memories.

Read this article on our magazine at:
https://www.thenewflyfisher.com/articles/november-fishing/