Years ago, I fished the Pennsylvania Spring Creeks with several Old Guys from the local fishing club. The Maryland Fly Anglers was a great club that enjoyed mentoring young bucks like me. We often went fishing with high expectations.

For me it was about a lot of big fish. This is standard and normal. For them, they got a charge out of my expectations and enthusiasm. I was a fair but anxious to learn fisherman. As the student, I soaked up everything that they said and did.

One master angler named Mr. Simeon, always had a great day. I never saw him net a fish. He frequently had a rod bent, and I often ran toward him with my net but… the fish always got off. Mr. Simeon always bragged about how many fish “He had Hung!” Every hook up meant that he had “hung one”. I guess that since he had no intention of keeping the fish, he was glad that they were “voluntarily released!”

These old guys really knew how to fish. Every time that I was landing a fish, they gave me great instructions on how to release them safely. If I was keeping a fish, they showed me how to kill it, and cook it properly.

Expectations when fishing are different for every angler. Its not always about how many fish you catch, how big they are, or … Sometimes its just about fishing. Catching, keeping, losing, or limits matter less than the experience and fun. Mr. Simeon and those Old Guys had it figured out.

They expected me to catch fish. Thanks to their great Mentorship, I did not disappoint!

Montana Grant

For more Montana Grant, expect him at www.montanagrantfishing.com.