Passing on Knowledge

Over the last few days its been quite hectic writing the blog and getting the video finished off for my weekly fishing trip but now catching up on things I can write about how on Saturday I had a nice surprise in the way of a present.........The last few months have seen me get back into the teaching mode but unlike days gone past where it was of military matters its been float making matters. I generally help anyone who asks about float making as I think its an art that should be passed on but from time to time I take it one step further and help certain individuals who ask to be taught and over a couple of months go from no knowledge to as much as I can pass across to them.

This time around  distances were overcome by email and Skype and a young gentleman (17 years of age) by the name of Austin Mitchell from Quebec in Canada was the apprentice.

Austin contacted me during the summer and asked if I could teach him to make his own floats and after a few emails he opened up with why he was wanting to learn, he is hellbent on becoming a fishing guide but would like to be able to make all his tackle that he uses which I have to take my hat off to him for as I felt the same way at his age and thankfully I had someone in the shape of an old man named Peter Skelly who taught me everything he knew in the ways of making fishing tackle from everything and nothing, but I'm not saying that I've taken that old man status...not just yet!

After a small package went across the Atlantic to him he started to produce floats and pick up the basic techniques and we would Skype to set about the finer details, as the weeks went on Austin became more confident and showed great skill and enthusiasm for float making. I had a bit of reading to do myself as there isn't too many UK species swimming around in the rivers over there and steel-head are his chosen species so a few burning oil moments were needed on my part.

I can honestly say that Austin pulled out all the stops when he made me a float from balsa for my chosen species of Grayling and he has done what a few others have not done in the past & that's show some appreciation for what he has been taught, so  credit where credit is due I say a Big Thank You to him.






I look forward to continuing to work with him and I know a friend who is a guide in Montana is going to teach him a few other things and maybe one day I will get a guided trip in Canada.

A lovely gesture and a great present, one which I will use, after all floats are for fishing, not for display!