GETTING BONETASTICALLY CRAZY…

In the dark morning hours, Freeport is quiet - the hotel, the lobster, the water, and even the fish. We are so excited, and can’t believe we are here. Surf and indigenous waterfowl are kind, mysterious and awakening sounds coming forth. We await our guide to pick us up from the Westin. Plush and inviting, this resort is nothing short of spectacular. However, we are up before dawn and have left our wives behind on this day for one reason, and one reason only – BIG BONES, and whiskey.

Westin - Our Lucaya

We begin with an hour long ride to McLean’s Town by van. To ensure we are prepared for the pace, the driver creeps along at 45 miles per hour, which is fast given the Bahamian way of life, “slow and easy mon”. This is absolutely nothing like speeding down I-35 from Austin, TX to San Antonio on a Saturday morning. We get used to it quickly though, because we actually enjoy the scenery and the conversation with the van driver. As we get further into our winding journey, we notice the damage done by hurricanes past, and the sheer beauty of this island culture. Many local people around us are living off the land, fishing, farming, and raising their children like people from anywhere else. Comparatively, many of these islanders live in poverty, in small huts and cabanas. We notice that all of them are waving, smiling, and greeting us as we cross into their villages. Can you imagine if you saw this type of welcome in NYC? You would think it was a float parade. Generous tips here can make a restaurant owner’s month. But, these people also have a few things to show the world. The real lesson given by the people here comes when you make friends with them. Their true passion for the water, sport, life, relaxation, pride in family, and overall friendliness is unmatched. To give yourself a reward for a decade of work, you come here - or if you want to treat your buddy to a serious sporting event of a lifetime before he gets married. The setting is perfect, the weather is perfect, and the water is gin clear.

Beautiful!!

We begin our fishing day at the docks of McLean’s Town, where we meet our guide, Bernard. He is a crazy character with a lifetime of bonefishing experience. I can only imagine the stories he has locked away in memory, pulling fallen drunk tourists from the water, eating raw snapper caught from his boat, or unleashing the fury of the Bahamas best bones on a first timer. This is a guy whom you trust with your life. He “IS” the Bahamas, live and in person. Young, wild, smart, and dedicated, he claims he will take us to the hottest spots for HUGE schools of bonefish, pole in hand, and Backwoods cigar in mouth. Classic. We are made bonefish believers in no less than a 10 minute boat ride from the dock. Initially, Bernard gave us some coaching on the style of casting that works best in these conditions. I had my 10 wt. Thomas and Thomas ready to unleash hell on these Bones! I’ve done this before. He recommended a delicate casting technique as not to spook the fish in their schools. Before we got serious though, he speared two lobsters for our lunch.

Bernard - Guide and Coach!

As we approached the first flats area, I could see shimmering on the surface of the water less than 12 inches deep. Thinking it was only the sun’s first rays and my mind playing tricks on me from at least 6 margaritas the night before, I inquired to Bernard…”That water sure is shiny over there eh mon?”, I said. He replied, “Yeah mon, those bones are 300 or more!” “WOW” is all I could say!!!!!

Gorgeous Flats!!

My first cast was with the brown crab pattern fly (rubber legs) and was horrible due to wind. Of course, it was actually due to the fact that my casts sometimes suck. The second cast was right in the middle of the school, sending approximately 150 fish left and 150 fish right. Not good. The third cast set was better, on the edge of the tailing school, and so then I listened carefully to my guide – “1 o’clock, more left, more left, more left, shoot, strip, strip, pause, strip, stop, wait, wait, …SET. I hooked up on my first big bone of the day. This one took me into my backing in lets say, 18 seconds or so, like UT’s Vince Young running for his final collegiate touchdown against USC in the 2005 National Championship. SEE YA!

What an amazing fight! I felt like I was on the end of a tug of war with a St. Bernard, as guided by Bernard of course. As the fish was tiring and coming near the boat, Bernard said, look, SHARK!!!! The wounded bone had attracted a black tip shark into the flats to feed. Luckily, I landed the bone before it could become breakfast for the shark. As I released the fish into the water, I could only imagine its impending doom knowing the shark would still be nearby waiting to dine on this tasty morsel.

NICE BONE!

My buddy Steve Hilsabeck and I agreed to switch after each fish caught, so this was his turn. Steve is an amazing guy, VP of a bank, and first time flyfisher. He was here in the Bahamas for the first time, to get married. I wanted him to feel the true joy of bonefishing, so he would know it and then come to love it. Bernard gave him some lessons one on one, and Steve got started with a bang. Five casts into his storied career as a flyfishing enthusiast, Steve lands a huge bone. The Thomas and Thomas performed very well paired with a Ross large arbor reel. Steve was giddy, like a school girl on her first day of middle school. He sang praises to Bernard, and to the bone, to me, and even cheered when the bone took him to his backing. This moment was worth all of those shots of whiskey he made me do throughout our long friendship.

GO STEVE!!!

Once he landed the bone, we released it and again it was my turn. After trading off 10-12 times in this fashion, we had to call it a day. More importantly, the lobsters were waiting to be eaten, and of course, we did a few shots to celebrate. So F-town and Hook Em Horns as shown became song material, and the memory will remain forever.

Hook 'em Horns and Freeport Town!

We blew up the bones in Mclean’s Town, Bahamas, but more importantly, we learned a lot about Bahamian life, culture, people, water, wildlife, and fish. We took a grand tour of the Bahamian flats firsthand, led by one of the most sincere and trusted coaching guides on the planet. His skill, coaching approach, humor, and wisdom were amazing. He taught us how to appreciate life again, and how to sing to the fish, how to use stealthy casts, and how to laugh at ourselves. To our good friend Bernard, we love you man!!

Bernard -The man, the myth, the coach!

Have you ever found yourself arguing with a boss, co-worker, or relative, and can’t seem to come to agreement? What are the root causes of the disagreement? Whose fault is it? Why can’t we just get along? Well, the concept of Conflict Resolution is well researched and provides us some relief to this lifelong dilemma. It also helps us to catch more fish!!! Hmmmm…..let me explain.

Interpersonal conflicts occur when two or more parties are discussing a subject and they have incompatible styles, conversation goals, and/or personal opinions related to the facts of the issue. Conflict can be generated by differences in a specific factor, or compounded by all of these factors combined. So where does this lead us? It leads us to the notion that understanding these factors is critical when trying to resolve any conflict, including those with people or fish. I know, it’s pretty hard to have a conflict with a 22 inch German Brown trout, but hey…I’ve done it!!! She looks at me with those “please release me” eyes and I just crumble as always. Remember to consider Styles, Goals, and Opinions. This will help put you in a better position to resolve conflicts. Conflict resolution behaviors, according to Linda Putnam (PhD), occur in three common interpersonal styles noted below:

· Non-confrontational - Indirect strategies used for handling a conflict; chooses to avoid or withdraw from a disagreement; uses communicative behaviors such as silence, glossing over differences, and concealing ill feelings.

· Solution-Orientation - Direct communication about the conflict; behaviors that aim to find a solution to integrate the needs of both parties; and to give in or compromise on issues.

· Control - Direct communication about the disagreement; arguing persistently for one’s position; taking control of the interaction; and advocating one’s position.

If you believe your style is more Non-confrontational, and your boss is using the Control style, there is likely going to be some conflict generated just by the mere difference in style regardless of the content of the discussion. If both parties have the Control style, you can see how that conflict could escalate to blows. If both parties have the Non-confrontational style, then you will find the conflict will typically dissipate quickly with out resolution. Generally, Solution-orientation is the recommended style and approach for solving conflicts professionally. Conversational goals should be aligned with solving the conflict fairly (win-win), rather than displaying a “win-lose” attitude. Personal opinions are always present in a conversation, but the parties need to differentiate their opinions from the facts. Everyone knows a person (or two) who sincerely believes his/her opinion is fact… Knowing when to speak and when to listen is also a critical communication element. By understanding these components (Styles, Goals, and Opinions) and working to clearly define them during the discussion, people can find better success in resolving conflicts.

As we scoured the waters of the Madison River near Ennis, MT, for trophy Brown trout, we reflected on the critical factors of conflict resolution (Styles, Goals, and Opinions) and applied them to our fishing. What styles were we using to attract and catch these fish (dry fly Hopper on top or Copper John and Midge under an indicator)? Were our goals to catch little fish or big fish (using a 4 inch Sculpin pattern)? Did our opinions of the approach or environment come into play (wade vs. drift boat)? Overall, once we covered the basics in theory, we talked a lot about questions in resolving conflicts that are more in the grey area. What if the conflict is with a potential client or police officer? How do we adopt a Solution-orientation stance when we are in an emotional conflict with our children or parents? I’ll leave these answers untold here to protect the privacy of our members, but please understand that by confirming Styles, Goals, and Opinions as part of the discussion, people can definitely have a better chance of resolving conflict peacefully and professionally. As proof of the effective application to flyfishing, please see our photo gallery. We hope you can join us on future CPC flyfishing adventures.

Tight lines!!!

Tom Scambilis

What a beautiful morning. Several days ago, I was sitting on top of my one man pontoon boat, alone on Anderson Lake. I had caught and released a couple of nice rainbow trout. There is something spectacular about being the only human on a body of water, lake, or stream. The nice thing about a pontoon boat is that while you are positioned off the water, the water is literally inches from your seat. The craft opens to the water between the two pontoons. On that particular morning the world seemed especially peaceful. There were several swallows and a large number of purple martins (similar to swallows) swooping around the lake acquiring their breakfasts. Early in the morning there were a number of other birds as well, including a magnificent bald eagle tormenting his friend, the osprey.

To a fly fishers delight, the morning hatch of bugs had begun. The bugs du jour that morning were chironomids, or better known as midges. The midge starts its life as an egg, transitions into a larva, then into a pupa. When nature calls, the pupa rises to the surface encapsulated is a bubble of gas which provides the buoyancy for the ride to the surface. Once the pupa breaks through the under-surface of the water, it begins yet another transition. At that point, this mosquito-like insect crawls out of its shuck. It sits atop of the floating shuck for a few seconds drying its wings. Then, the adult insect begins its first flight into a new life doing what insects do — making more insects. It is during these transitional phases and especially the emergence to the surface, that the insects are the most vulnerable to trout. I found it interesting that the midges in this lake were exceptionally large.

I literally had a front row seat sitting there on my pontoon boat watching this spectacle of nature. One particularly large midge emerged in the water between my feet. It was great watching it pop to the surface extracting itself from its shuck. Soon it began its slow flight up and a little towards me. It literally flew about two feet in front of my face so that I could examine the fine points of its wings and body. Engrossed in my face to face nature lesson … bang, unbeknownst to me, a purple martin flew at what seemed to be mach speed from my right side and inhailed the new born! Both were gone in an instant…

While no stranger to this cycle of life, I must admit that this event made an impression on me. Sure, adolescents are accused of living with invincibility and immortality. But you know, so do we adults. I recently heard a woman comment that she can’t image the world without me in it. It don’t believe her notion is so much a statement of her arrogance, as much as it is her detachment from her place in the natural world. The human race has a long history of neglecting our place in nature. Historically, we have so elevated ourselves that if we are not very careful, we too, like the small midge, may rise to a level of annihilation. Each of us have a decision to make. Do we live as stewards or consumers of our earth? A client of mine just last week was lamenting how “something is happening”. He went on to provide a long list of critters which are missing from his property this year. On this list were various birds, frogs, and mammals. Granted, his may be an isolated case. Or perhaps it is not. On a broader scope, the states of Oregon and California have closed down the salmon fishery on their coastal waters due to depressed numbers of fish.

It is everyone’s role to provide good stewardship. If not we too may experience the plight of the midge. Swoop…GULP!

Here’s to Growth,

Tim

Several days ago a small group of Hard Working Dads returned to their respective homes from Northern California.  This special weekend was dedicated to helping those guys out there who bust their bunions every day doing the work and family thing. We love our families and most of us love what we do. It was just great getting together as a group of guys, who have different backgrounds, but very similar stressors. It always amazes me how people who don’t know each other can have so much in common. When you are standing in the water surrounded by beautiful scenery, waving a graphite stick in the air at some trout, everyone quickly becomes equal. Doctors, engineers, and educators are all on the same level playing field. For those few hours we are all just trout bums. This group of bums laughed together, ate great food, had some nice wine and talked about some of the concerns which keep us up at night.

All within a couple of days, we fly fished Hat Creek, the Fall River, the Pit River, and Burney Creek.  A special aspect of our fly fishing activity was to go out after suppers to the Fall River. The Fall River is a boat access only spring creek (meaning the river water is generated by huge springs)  which at this time of year experiences the annual Hex hatch. The Hex or Hexagenia is a type of aquatic bug (mayfly) which emerges from below the water surface as darkness approaches. These mayflies are very large (about two inches) and present themselves as a complete delicacy to the trout.  One could just about set their clock by the 9:15 p.m. emergence. The hatch continued for about thirty minutes which conveniently was the legal time to quit fishing (30 minutes after sunset) in California.

The Hex hatch provided a great time for all. Without an exception those in our group expressed how “cool” it was trying to cast and bring fish in, in the near dark or dark. Not only did we find some great rainbow trout but one of our members even accidentally hooked a muskrat. Everyone especially appreciated our catch-and-release policy with that one!

Our staff can heartily recommend those beautiful Northern California waters to anyone. Our local guides were great and our Hard Working Dads were not only rejuvenated but left with a few down-to-earth tools to help them cope in this crazy working world of ours.  For all the other Hard Working Dads out there that were not at the Hex hatch our thoughts are with you. We hope you understand the importance of connecting with nature and bonding with your brothers.  No matter what we do for our work, we guys benefit from being challenged by nature at it’s best.

If you were not able to join us this year we hope to see you at next years Hex hatch. In the mean time perhaps we can connect on the Madison River in Montana at our Conflict Management event July 31- August 2, 2008. Those fish will make your arm sore!

Here’s to Growth,

Tim

After a significantly busy week rushing here and there I decided it was time to go visit the Lyre River here on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. There are numerous small coastal rivers here the Peninsula. These rivers are watersheds for the Olympic Mountain range. Some of them are really not much more than large streams while others are large wild rivers. The Lyre is a bit different in that it is a “tail water” which flows out of Lake Crescent. People typically fish the Lyre in the Fall for steelhead. Steelhead are rainbow trout which leave the river system and travel out to the salt water for a year or two. When they return, they are big fish. Some steelhead do return in the spring and summer to produce the so called summer run.

I knew I would be a bit early for the summer run but I wanted to go out to the Lyre and just get to know it a bit better. It was a very nice day on the water. I saw only one other guy on the river, not what you would call a big crowd. By lunch time I had caught and released about ten juvinial steelhead. Spunky little guys. Then for some reason I began thinking about the old days of driving in the San Francisco Bay area traffic during rush hour. During those times it seemed inevitable that I would experience great bundles of stress while trying to get the the airport on time.

Just at that point on the Lyre, the next hour became a bit of a rush hour of its own. My current rush hour began by hooking a couple more particularly strong fish. I then moved up stream to a slower pool where I thought the fish may be resting. At the tail-out of the pool two trees had fallen into the water and were perpendicular to the increased water flow. I began fishing up stream from these windfalls. I looked up to notice my dog Midge walking out on the fallen tree nearest me, which she often does. Then for some unknown reason Midge simply lost her footing and plunged into the water up-current of the windfall. Immediately, the current slammed her against the tree and sucked her under. At that instant I knew two things for sure. First, I could not reach her to provide rescue. Second, I knew the force of the water could trap and keep her there until summer when the water recedes! Fortunately, my state of panic was relieved when I saw her pop-up like a cork on the other side of the log. Yeah, she is safe.

The only problem now was the other fallen log which Midge was quickly drifting towards. She saw it and tried to climb up onto it. Again, however, she was grabbed by the force of the water and taken under. This tree being smaller, Midge popped up on the other side of it more quickly this time. At that point she began to be carried down stream by the current. By the time she floated a hundred feet down stream she had been able to swim to the water’s edge and climb on to terra firma. Being a pretty tough dog she shook herself off and immediately provided mother earth with the biggest poop I have ever seen from her!

You want a rush? That was a rush.

The near drowning incident was to become only the first half of the rush hour. I sat both dog an man down along the river bank and decided to take a break with some lunch. As I sat there munching away on my peanut butter sandwich with wet and gooey dog in hand, I took the occasion to just absorb the world I was in. You know, to be in the moment. I slowly provided myself a 180 degree pan of the scenery before me. A small but beautiful river with very clear water. Lush greenery with plentiful ferns, some four and five feet in height. A forest filled with Western Red Cedar as well as an ample supply of Alder. Then there were the tiny flowers growing out of the moss covered rocks along the river bank. In a state of gratitude, this was one of the best peanut butter sandwich I have ever eaten, and the smell of wet dog next to me made it even better.

A few moments earlier I had undergone a large adrenalin rush with my four legged girlfriend’s near tragedy. Now I was experiencing a rush of another sort. I suppose some may describe it as a spiritual rush. Since I describe spirituality as being in a harmonious relation with the universe, yes, I suppose I would consider this to have been a spiritual rush hour.

Here’s to Growth,

Tim

Those of you who already know us are aware that we focus on helping people make positive changes in their lives. As such you are also aware that we use fly fishing as a vehicle to jump-start the change process. Of course those who have experienced our services either in an open enrolment retreat or in a customized coaching assignment know the benefits of combining coaching and fly fishing during the change process. You have first hand experience with applying the metaphors on the water with your personal and professional life.

As an unfamiliar reader, however, you may be wondering if something’s fishy (pardon the pun)! Change is difficult. Our job is to help you find the most success in the shortest amount of time, with the most lasting results. That is precisely why we combine coaching and fly-fishing. It works! We have found that fly-fishing (whether novice or expert level) mimics life. Spending time on the water will not only tell us how you fish, but especially how you work and do life. Fly-fishing is a highly informative metaphor for life.

So …we pair state-of-the-art psychological methods with the experience of fly-fishing to help high level performers (i.e., corporate leaders, professionals, media/entertainment personalities, and athletes) make positive change. Since we strongly believe in the power of metaphor we would like to hear from you regarding your experience using metaphor to enhance the change process. In the past you may have used golf, sailing, or even chess to aid you in the change process. Chances are we have all had these change experiences, what are yours?

Here’s to Growth,

Tim