Fishing with Jay: Western Tour

The west is the best. Get here, and we’ll do the rest. Just ask Jay.
This past spring, Jay got the word that Bajío sunglasses were killing it in the land of bearded men, brown trout and the chubby fish squeeze. So early one morning, he decided to point the bus toward his old haunts, just to catch up on what’s going down in these alpine mountain towns.

The plan was simple-- a multi-state fly shop tour with lots of fishing, camaraderie and reunions with old friends. Rollin’ through the Rockies brought back a lot of memories. After all, this was the place where the Pig Farm was born, and any trout bum could become King of the World.

Well, it wasn’t quite that simple. What started as an early summer warm-up turned to snow covered streets with limited passage. Then it got warm again. Then cold. And then it, well, if you’ve ever been out west, you know the drill.

On the list of places to visit were the fly shops where old, bearded guys who smell like fish pointed to trays of feathery insects and a shop cooler full of IPA’s. These are mountain men. Thick dudes with plaid shirts and tattoos of neked wimmin’ and trout a’swimmin,’ and also the “in” to some of the prettiest lakes, streams and rivers in the west

Mountain rides are filled with a lot of ups and downs, and at one point Jay realized there’s a new order out west, one where trucks humping drift boats dot the parking lots at dawn as guides wait for their “sports” to show. At night, dinner conversations are filled with phone photos of chubby browns being squeezed for prosperity and floating traffic jams.

The allure of fly fishing has not just caught on, it’s built a wave of new anglers. Once they experience it for the first time, they absolutely had to have it again. And again.

But that’s what draws us all to fishing. Like surfing, diving, motocross and skiing, the freedom and peace when out on the water is palatable. Unfortunately, when locations get too popular, they stand to lose just a taste of what makes them special.

The beauty is still majestic, the fishing epic, and the time on the water with old friends memorable. There was even a Geofish reunion and a chance to meet the “Yeah, the rods would swing…If I were king…,” King of the World. So tune in, turn on, buckle up and click on the link to see the latest episode of Fishing With Jay: Western Tour. Roll through the mountains with the hula girl on the dash and the bugs hatching.

Dig it.

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