2 Days In October

  Earlier this year, I received a call from my good friend Mike Geer, who lives just up the road from me in Seguin Tx. Mike and I met through our mutual friend with whom we have both had the privilege of sharing a skiff with for many years, Captain Freddy Lynch. Along with Austin Orr, and Brian Clark, Mike was exploring the possibility of organizing a casual get-together of distance casting enthusiasts, who were looking to expand their skillset to meet the extreme demands of saltwater fly fishing, and wanted to know if I was interested in attending. While I appreciated the formality of his invitation, I felt certain that he knew the answer before he dialed my number. Mike had also made a similar phone call to Phil Blackmar down in Corpus Christi. Not surprisingly, Phil was as equally enthusiastic as I was about the possibility of sharing ideas and techniques with some of the state's finest line slingers. 

  Well, the Gulf Coast Casting Confab has officially come and gone, and as you might imagine, it was a tremendous success. In addition to twelve of the finest flycasters from both in and out of the state, we were also privileged to have Rick Hartman and Bill Gammel in attendance. 

  From the start, this get-together was designed to be an informal, non-political gathering, that was agnostic of any affiliation with a formal organization. Having been involved over the years in various formally organized rod-building associations and events, this was indeed a breath of fresh air. In addition to the tremendous open-air facilities that Mike's property offered, he and his family also provided dinner, breakfast, and lunch for all in attendance.  

  While I feel certain that all of us learned many things from one another, I think we all agree what a privilege it was to be able to stand mere feet away from two pioneering legends in the game like Rick Hartman and Bill Gammel. If any of you ever have the chance to spend a bit of time with either of these two gentlemen, I highly recommend that you do so. Both of them are extremely approachable, funny, generous with their knowledge and skill, and can still blast a line out WELL past a 100' like it's all in a normal day's work, which it may very well be...

  And the icing on the cake? Mr. Paul Arden was kind enough to participate in a long-distance Zoom call for over an hour, exchanging pleasantries and answering questions for anyone who was inclined to participate.

  For any of you who are in other states, or in other countries for that matter, I think that all of us in attendance at this event would agree that this is the way forward to develop and hone one's skills. No egos, no agendas, no monetary compensation or politics, just a small group of like-minded folks willing to share their time and knowledge, and make some new friends in the process. If you are so inclined, I would encourage anyone who frequents this board and has an interest in bettering their skillset to seek out a small group of folks with a similar mindset to collaborate with. Not only will it make you a better caster and fisherman, but will also provide an opportunity for you to open the door to welcome some fantastic people into your life.

  A big thanks to Mike Geer and the Geer family for their hospitality, as well as Brian Clark and Austin Orr for organizing this event. And, special thanks to both Rick Hartman and Bill Gammel for carving out a couple of days from their busy schedules to spend some time with all of us. Your generosity with your time and knowledge was very much appreciated, and did not go unnoticed.

Hope you all are having a great week,

Andy