Good By Mr. Trout

[hookncook]

Got a phone call from my friend that owns some private land in Iowa the other day. It seemed that he has come down with a case of buck fever and wanted to let me know that he'll be buckling down his land for the rut season. He told me that if I wanted to, I could come up one more time.

That's fine. Finals are coming up and I'm neck deep in papers, so why not take a break and sneak across the border for a day of fishing.

The fish were on fire! My guest and I had a blast catching them on 1/8 PK spoons, and #4 Panther martins.

Now that it is snowing ice fever has set in. I'm glad to have ended my personal trout fishing season with a bang.

[hookncook]

I'll be smiling like this guy when I think about this day when I'm not ice fishing.

[ted4887]

Hook - Do you fish the early Minnesota season at all? That's the best time!

[hookncook]

I live in LaCrosse, and can effectively fish all 3 states. My office is in MN and I take my high functioning clients trout fishing on the Pine Creek in La Crescent, and Trout Run just outside Dresbach.

I like MN early season because, by then I'm about sick of being on the ice. It's difficult to obtain permission to take my clients ice fishing, so trout fishing is a lot easier, especially bridge hopping. It's also nice to have trout streams close to the office, so if a client has a hard time or needs to take meds, it's easy to run them back.

[hookncook]

Before the flamers get all excited and hit the panic button, I'd like to clarify what I mean by client.....

I work with people with disabilities. So when I refer to people in this forum as clients, it's a representation of the public that I serve. I have worked very hard to gain special permission and certificates over the last year to be able to take "my" people fishing. And to be able to take the people I work with is a luxury and a privilege I cherish.

Guiding was something I did when I was going to school and didn't have a well paying job. This does not apply to HSO or my affiliation to HSO threads.

[ted4887]

No flamers here Hook. That's a great thing your doing. Being able to take advantage of these resources is something everyone should be to do. Keep it up.

[hookncook]

It all started a little over a year and half ago, when I started to show one of my clients fish pictures on my cell phone. He's in a wheel chair but loves outings with Fishing has no Boundaries.

One of my senior staff asked me to show everybody my pictures. I hooked a lap top on the big screen and accessed my facebook. The clients loved seeing the pictures of my friends and the good times we have on the river and streams.

Later, one of the big wigs came by and asked about my credentials and qualifications for hosting an outing. I had a couple of the basic qualifiers, and gear; so we had our first outing at Petibone Park in la Crosse, then we went to the Dresbach Lock and Dam, and then brownsville.

I then asked for permission to take a smaller group for 1:1 and program rewards. I was denied because I didn't have the right qualifications, so I hit the bricks.

Every once in a while, I still do laptop shows with my recent outings, and download photos into my GPS for my fishing clients to see whats out there. The clients that don't get to go out love seeing all the fish. One guy loves "floppy crappies" another used to love seeing pictures of Sheephead (he's passed away some time now).

My specialty is autism, but I work with a broad spectrum of disabilities. The smiles on these guy's faces when they catch a fish or see one up close is absoulty priceless.

[Nate McVey]

That sounds like a rewarding line of work hooks, thanks for sharing. My wife is from Onalaska so I've had the chance to fish a bit down there. Sure do love that area! Keep up the good work!

P.S. You should post the time and place you are going to be showing your pictures and talking about your trips. That way we'll all know what a great guy you are

[hookncook]

I can say I love the people I work with. I was going to post some pictures of my clients with fish, and under Hippa I could because they were not at work, and not within the capacity of my job conditions; but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

I took one into microsoft edit and whited out a face, but all I had was faceless person holding a big trout- hardly worth lookint at as the picture essence was the person's face. They were holding a 22 inch rainbow caught out of a private trib I fish in MN and as the picture was taken the fish shot out of their hands. It was a riot becasue the person only gets to fish twice a year: once for NASA (North American Squirrell Assocaition) and fishing no boundries.

The outing with me was a first for them, let alone a trout. They just about broke my fly rod bringing it in. Every time I look at my rod, I laugh because I remember the look on their face as I was coaching them to bring the fish in was: their eyes were closed and they were ripping the line saying "I'm pulling it in!" They pulled so hard I could hear the fibers in my rod crunching... We got it to shore and everyone in our group cheered and clapped for them. They were so proud, snapped a few p ix and let the fish go.

It was like everyone on that outing caught that fish. I called it the community trout. I blew up the group picture and put it on the office wall.I also gave the person their individual picture in a frame and it sits on thei dresser at home.

IMO, we have a lot to learn about humility and cordaliality from our adapative and special population.