The swift current of the Kenai River revealed its power as I stepped in just far enough to make a back cast to a rising rainbow trout without snagging my fly in the bushes behind me. I was 25 and new to fly fishing. I had only done a little in Colorado before taking a job in Alaska. With my first fly rod, I also purchased a vise and some materials to tie a few common flies for Colorado streams. The first flies I tied were probably not fly shop worthy, but they passed for a bug.

I tried every fly I had that resembled a big, tasty bug to throw at that rainbow trout. I could see it rising and gulping bugs as the current swept them downstream, but it would not even look at my flies. I was thankful for the sights and the surroundings, but I wanted to catch it. Finally, I tied on the simplest of flies, a Griffith’s Gnat. All you need for a Griffith’s Gnat is some thread, a peacock herl, some hackle, and a tiny hook. I distinctly remember the recipe in the Alaska fly book, it said that the difficulty level was EASY.

That Griffith’s Gnat was probably the first fly I ever tied, and it was the last one I thought would catch a nice rainbow trout on the mighty Kenai River. The cast placed the fly into the feeding lie the trout was using, then disappeared into the turquoise water. I knew from the lay of the line that it was drifting into range. I saw the trout rise and knew that he had gulped another bug, but was it my Griffith’s Gnat? I decided to lift without knowing, and the trout began to fight. I had just landed my first rainbow trout, not only on a fly rod that I built myself but also on a fly that I had tied days before.

This was a day, 30 years ago now, that will forever be etched into my mind and a memory I hope never fades. Catching a trout on a fly rod is a good feeling. To do it on one of the greatest rivers in the world, on a fly you crafted yourself, is a far greater feeling. A feeling never imagined by this old farm boy while chasing creek fish in Lynchburg Tennessee. I knew that at least part of that feeling was derived from learning about tying flies and spending time at the vise.

Today, I still enjoy tying, mostly jigs now. I invented a jig called the Hairy Cricket to catch bluegills and shellcrackers here in Kentucky. It’s a yarn bodied jig with rubber strands for wings. You might say it’s as simple as the Griffith’s Gnat, but it takes a little longer to tie. I never stopped spending time at the vice. For me, it’s a time to reminisce about faraway places, special moments outdoors, and to truly relax. If you are an angler, I encourage the learning of tying flies or jigs. It makes a great addition to the journey.