Friday night the Platte Valley Trout Unlimited is hosting a fly casting clinic before a memorial service honoring Mike Smith.
It is only fitting for the fly fishing clinic to coincide with Smith’s memorial, because he loved to fish.
Smith was one of three certified casting instructors in the Platte Valley. The other two, Jeff Streeter and Bud Fackelman, are the instructors for Friday night.
Streeter and Fackelman, like Smith, were certified through the Federation of Fly Fishers, Streeter said.
“Mike was a very active board member in the Platte Valley Trout Unlimited,” Streeter said. “He loved to teach fly casting and he was an excellent teacher.”
Streeter said he is constantly reminded that he never got the opportunity to fish with Smith. “I thought we would have plenty of opportunities,” Streeter said.
That opportunity has passed Streeter by, as Smith died Nov. 5, 2013.
“Sometimes we just have to do things while we have that opportunity,” Streeter said. “Grab that partner or that child and do it now in honor of Mike.”
Several members of Smith’s family will also be at the memorial, Streeter said.
Streeter encourages the novice to the experienced to attend to the fly casting clinic. “It’s open to the public and somewhat informal,” Streeter said.
While some people may not be comfortable coming to a fly casting clinic, Streeter said he and Fackelman wait to see who shows up to see how to approach the class instruction. The earlier someone arrives, the more they will benefit from the class Streeter said.
“Normally we see who attends the class and mold the class around those people,” Streeter said. “Please don’t think ‘I’m a klutz and won’t be invited’.”
Streeter said the novice and the accomplished will benefit from the class.
Streeter also recommends people bring their own fly rod if they can, because people should practice with the rod they plan to fish with. The instructors will have a few rods on hand.
“If you don’t have one or can’t borrow one, please come,” Streeter added.
Streeter began fly fishing 55 years ago when his mother would take the top two sections of a fly rod, put on a reel so he could fish.
Wounded Warrior Event
Platte Valley Trout Unlimited will again be hosting the Wounded Warriors for two days of fly fishing.
The original plan was to work with the group wade fishing, Streeter said. The Platte Valley has received so much moisture that the Platte River will have too much water for the military veterans.
The first day, Platte Valley Trout Unlimited will be taking the veterans on a float trip and then the guides will take the veterans to places where they can wade fish.
Streeter said there are many benefits to wade fishing over float fishing and one of them is a more intimate experience.
“In the elements, you have a longer opportunity to catch a fish,” Streeter said.
When wade fishing, Streeter said he can see the big fish come to the surface. “When float fishing you can maybe cast two times to try and catch that fish,” Streeter said. When wade fishing, the angler has the time to target that single fish.
“Wade fishing is harder to guide because the scenery doesn’t change,” Streeter admits. There are slippery rocks to negotiate and sometimes the angler has to pick up and move to another location. “It becomes more challenging but it is a more intimate experience. I never want to define what is a good time. Let people have their own definition of a good time.”
With fly fishing becoming so competitive, Streeter said he believes angling is the straightest conduit for people to think about what the river does for the environment.
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