A Week Away From Steelheading

I recently spent a week away from steelheading when our family took a trip to Disneyland during the week of Christmas.  This year we took our daughter Yolanda, husband Kanoe, and our 8yo grandson KJ.  Last year we did the same thing, again during the week of Christmas with our son TJ, daughter in law Stephanie, daughter Felicia, boyfriend Shaun, and grand kids (at the time, Harmony-9mos, Zaden-2yo) to be able to see Mickey and all the fun rides and shows in the Magic Kingdom.  However, for a guy who shies away from crowds by escaping to steelhead rivers, the mob scene in Disneyland, California Adventure, and Knott's berry farm were a bit much.  Last year we all received a special gift from the crowds as well - a bad stomach bug which had us all dropping like flies in turn with vomiting, body aches, and the runs.  Several of us were throwing up on the plane ride home, including poor little Harmony so we were pretty glad when the plane touched back down in Eugene.

I had a pleasant surprise this year when I ran into Marty and Mia Sheppard in the line for the Pirates of the Carribean ride.  Knowing of the Sheppards through their reputations as talented steelhead guides, Mia's championship casting, thier articles in Swing the Fly, and through mutual friends, I decided to introduce myself.  Of course we got to chatting about fishing and I enjoyed visiting with them very much.

Since returning home, I've been coming down from the trauma of being in the midst of the mind numbing crowds:

I don't belong here

Not my Happy Place

Get me outta here!!

But it's all about the grandkids:

KJ (8)

Harmony (21 months)

Zaden (3)

Gotta admit, I've been glad to come back to this:

Home sweet home

Gotta be a steelhead out there somewhere

Holding water

May His Grace and Peace be with you and wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Todd

Homewaters Fly Shop under new ownership

In our little community of local steelheaders, it is common for friendships to be made on the water.  Such was the case last fall when I kept running into a kind fellow named Jason Mitzner who was floating the same stretch of the Willamette on my typical fridays off.  We would chat at the put in and tried to make plans to fish together, but we never put those plans into place until earlier this fall when we took a September trip to the North Umpqua.  During that trip, Jason informed that he was in the final stages of closing the deal on purchasing Homewaters fly shop in Eugene. 

It was exciting to hear of Jason's new venture into the fly shop business and very encouraging to talk of Jason's plans to revitalize this long established fixture in Willamette valley flyfishing.  Of course getting a newly owned business off the ground takes some hard work and Jason is going a great job of modernizing the arrangement of the shop, making connections with distributors, and bringing the inventory up to date with items modern fly fishers want and need.

Jason is an experienced angler who is intimately familiar with the local trout and steelhead flyfishing on the McKenzie and Willamette.  As time goes on, he will be getting his guiding operation up and running as well. 

Jason is a easy going guy that folks will enjoy visiting with about anything fly fishing.  It will be great to watch Jason's shop develop and grow.  Stop in for a visit for personal service, good local advice, and a great selection of tying materials and other fly fishing accoutrements.

Homewaters is located at:
444 W 3rd Ave, Eugene, OR 97401

(541) 342-6691

www.homewatersflyfishing.com/