Fishy Research

I'm in Brecken- ridge, Colorado for a week to celebrate the 4th up here with my family, sign some books (on the 4th), and do some research for my next manuscript. I plan to feature a fly fishing competition as a subplot in that story, so of course I needed to learn the basics of fly fishing. This morning I took a 2.5 hour lesson with a fly fishing guide from Breckenridge Outfitters. The attached photo is of me geared up in my waders next to the Blue River with a fly rod in my hands. I got a few nibbles but didn't manage to set the hook properly and bring in a fish (the sport is tougher than it seems!). I did hook my thumb, though. Ouch!

When I returned to the store with the guide, I found out that a young man interning there during the summer was on the USA Youth Fly Fishing Team. I asked if I could buy him lunch in return for picking his brain and got a wealth of information on how fly fishing tournaments are run and how one could cheat. Then, when I returned to our place in Breckenridge, my husband was chatting with our hot tub guy, who it turns out, is a fly fisherman. So, we made a date to continue my education later in the summer.

All of this, plus some books I bought at the store and some others that were recommended to me should make me able to write about fly fishing without sounding like an idiot. Who knows? I may wind up becoming "hooked" on the sport in more ways than one. ;)