Just before I went off fishing in Washington State, I had the opportunity to try out my new L.L. Bean fishing rod with champion fly fisherman, John Webster. John is Herbert Morais’ brother-in-law and husband of the lovely Dawn, Herbert’s sister. The plan was that Dawn would join John and I for an hour of fishing and that we would then repair to the Angler’s Inn just across the road for lunch.
Actually, Dawn went for a long walk along the Canal, leaving John and I to demonstrate our fly-fishing expertise. Herbert was also supposed to have come with us but had a terrible cold and cough. Jamaliah had to teach her art class that day. And, of course, Regee was in Bali at her International Food Festival with CHOP.
John certainly knew what he was doing with a fly fishing rod and started casting immediately. I had warned him that I was a rank amateur and that there were unlikely to be any fish in the Canal. I was right on both counts!
Apart from a quick demo from an L.L. Bean sales guy in Tyson’s Corner, I had never put the four pieces of my rod together nor actually tied a fly to the line. However, I quickly got a lot of practice tying on flies because I kept getting my wretched line snagged in the trees or in the weeds by the side of the Canal. Sometimes the flies went flying away all by themselves because I had failed to tie them on properly.
To make a long story short, John got a lot of bites and actually landed one fish but the sad truth was that there were really no fish there. If we had stumbled down hill behind us to the Potomac River itself, we might have had more luck. In any event, John proved that even when there are no fish, it is possible to catch a fish if you have sufficient skill and patience!
While the fishing was not all that memorable (except for the attrition rate for my flies), we did have an excellent meal at the Angler’s Inn (thank you, John and Dawn) washed down by a nice glass of white wine. Here are some photos of the food just to show you that we did get to experience some fishy things that day!!
Actually, Dawn went for a long walk along the Canal, leaving John and I to demonstrate our fly-fishing expertise. Herbert was also supposed to have come with us but had a terrible cold and cough. Jamaliah had to teach her art class that day. And, of course, Regee was in Bali at her International Food Festival with CHOP.
John certainly knew what he was doing with a fly fishing rod and started casting immediately. I had warned him that I was a rank amateur and that there were unlikely to be any fish in the Canal. I was right on both counts!
The “Big Water” on the C&O Canal where we fished
Apart from a quick demo from an L.L. Bean sales guy in Tyson’s Corner, I had never put the four pieces of my rod together nor actually tied a fly to the line. However, I quickly got a lot of practice tying on flies because I kept getting my wretched line snagged in the trees or in the weeds by the side of the Canal. Sometimes the flies went flying away all by themselves because I had failed to tie them on properly.
To make a long story short, John got a lot of bites and actually landed one fish but the sad truth was that there were really no fish there. If we had stumbled down hill behind us to the Potomac River itself, we might have had more luck. In any event, John proved that even when there are no fish, it is possible to catch a fish if you have sufficient skill and patience!
While the fishing was not all that memorable (except for the attrition rate for my flies), we did have an excellent meal at the Angler’s Inn (thank you, John and Dawn) washed down by a nice glass of white wine. Here are some photos of the food just to show you that we did get to experience some fishy things that day!!
Tuna--probably not from the C&O Canal
Delicious mussels in white wine sauce
Caprese Salad
The next time John is in town, we will have to find a good river somewhere in rural Virginia and spend a whole day fishing. After my fly fishing experiences in Washington State (see later blog), I hope I can put on a better show for John. If not, there is always the Angler’s Inn!
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