I’ve been a teacher and coach practically all my life. Every “teacher” dreams of that one student who will excel well beyond expectations or perceived potential. This past week when I visited my son in the heart of the Sierras to celebrate Thanksgiving. I was hit squarely and decisively with the realization that my long time fishing student and best fishing buddy had completed the circle. The student had become the teacher.

Our first stop of the week would be Truckee California for thanksgiving dinner. After enjoying a tasty turkey dinner and some great conversation at the Bar of American we took a walk around town to see the sites. Truckee is a beautiful historic town. We stopped at the bridge that overlooked the Truckee River. Spotting a few really nice rainbows we lamented the fact that both of us left our fly fishing gear back in South Lake Tahoe. There would be time for fishing later that week. Now was a time to chat, catch up on life events and plan our summer Sierra hiking/fly fishing trip slated for August 2020.

We couldn’t have been more wrong about having several days to fish. Ha ha! Every day after Thanksgiving winter advisories called for 1-4 feet of snow in higher elevations. We tried on Monday morning to get through one of the mountain passes to fish the East Carson but had to turn around after seeing several other trucks struggle to make headway up the mountain. It was just too risky. Even if we made it over the pass, more snow would prevent us from returning home at the end of the day. We didn’t have our winter camping gear with us so we turned around vowing to try the next day!

The next day the weather prediction would give us a brief morning window to make it over the pass to the East Carson, fish for a few hours then scoot back over the pass again. Juan didn’t waste much time hooking up. He worked the top of what we call “Pipe Line” Hole proficiently with his Euro Nymphing set up but with no luck. Changing gears, he moved to the last half of the deepest part of the pool and within a few casts, hooked up with a beast of a rainbow. All I could do was watch and take photos. Unfortunately, Juan lost the battle when the diminutive size #20 Hare’s Ear pulled loose as the big bow hit several wide strong head shakes. We both laughed, shook our heads and went back to “work”. Dad was still fishless… not even a bite!

Juan broke off so he took some time as we moved to the next fishable pool. He was quick and efficient as he re-rigged. In a turn of events, he was giving me advise indicating that I should probably change up to a size #20 Hare’s Ear because he had several hits and a hook up on the fly. Like any old codger, I resisted the advise and changed up from a Zebra Midge to a size #16 Pheasant Tail. Juan didn’t say much but what I saw written all over his face was “ok dad.. whatever.” Ha ha!

The next pool was one that had been very good to us in the past. Even on a difficult day, we expected to catch at least one trout from the pool and maybe even multiples. Once again, Juan took up a position at the bottom half of the pool before it shallowed out. Several casts later I look over my shoulder to see him in the process of a hook set. BAM! Another rainbow hooked and landed. Lots of smiles and congratulations followed. He had a solid presentation fly and a strong location pattern dialed in. Given the just above freezing water and similar air temperatures, the student was putting on a mini cold weather clinic for his dad. Me… I was still fishless after working the hole diligently for around 15 minutes or so. I’m still throwing my flies!

We moved on to the next pool through shin high snow and thickets of sage. Along the way we saw the remnants of “Old Bessy”, a cow that was brought down in August by coyotes. How do I know this? Well, a stumbled on the coyotes in August with their fresh kill, likely from the night before. All that’s left of her now are scattered bones and sinue. The fresh coyote tracks in the snow are evidence that Old Bessy is still providing some semblance of nutrition through the winter months.

Juan Jr. and the Hare’s Ear nymph strikes again! On a very long line Juan worked an eddy seam on the far bank with the skill of a surgeon. He had one other hookup but dropped that fish. It’s hard to land every fish when you using #20 flies. Meanwhile I’m still on board the “struggle bus” changing flies but refusing to admit Juan Jr. , the student, has figured out what fly the trout are eating today. Again we celebrate his catch and I take up my duties as the fishless photographer.

The snow storm begins to move in on us quickly so we decide to hit one more pool before hiking back to the truck and traversing over the snowy passes to South Lake Tahoe. Begrudgingly I tell Juan Jr that I’m going to tie on a Hare’s Ear to hit the last piece of water. A fairly shallow unassuming run that we identified in the summer as holding good numbers of trout. Juan Jr lets his old man pick his beat on the run so I settle into a spot where I can reach several submerged smallish boulders. On the second drift my sighter tightens ever so slightly.. barely perceptible. I set the hook… It’s on! I feel HEAVEY weight on the end of my line. It’s a big fish. Without me saying a word, Juan is in the water with his net just down stream ready to pounce. The battle lasts for about 5 minutes. I don’t see the full coloration of the fish until Juan expertly scoops the trout. I shout… It’s a huge Lohatton Cutthroat! We mark the net and find out later that its a solid 21.5″ specimen! We celebrate in the moment. We talk about the massive rainbow trout that he caught just upstream a year ago nearly to the day! We revel in the moment as only fisherman can. As the conversation starts to slow, Juan Jr. turns to me and says “It’s time to go home. I’m completely satisfied with the day” He refuses to make more casts on what we know is a good piece of water. At that precise moment, I knew without question that the student is now the teacher. There is nothing more for me to teach him.