THE MIghty T
he re are me mor i e s t ha t w i l l ne v e r fa de a w a y . I 'l l ne v e r forge t whe n I st a r t e d my j our ne y a s a fl y fi s hi ng g ui de b ack i n the 70s. I fe l l i n l ov e w i t h r i v e r s l i ke t he M a l l e o and the C ol l on C ura t ha t w e r e ov e r l ooke d by , w ha t w a s a t the ti me , a ti ny fl y fi sh i ng communi t y i n Ar g e nt i na . I n t hos e ti me s the re we re no l odg e s , no g ui de s , no one fi s he d dr y fl i e s, and nob od y fl oa t e d t he r i v e r s . Y e t t o me , t hos e w e r e gl ori ous, unforge ttab l e t i me s . The b i g e p i p hany came w he n I fi r s t v i s i t e d J a cks on H ol e i n 1979, whe re I sp e nt qua l i t y t i me w i t h pr ofe s s i ona l g ui de s l i ke AJ De Rosa, Patty R e i l l y , a nd ot he r s w ho g ui de d w i t h the m. Watchi ng what t he y w e r e doi ng w hi l e fl oa t i ng t he Snake , or the Gre e n R i v e r ne a r P i ne da l e , or F i s h Cr e e k i n Wi l son was an e ye -op e ne r t o me . I r e a l i ze d I coul d a ppl y al l the se gui d i ng conce pt s a nd t e chni que s t o t he count l e s s ri ve rs i n our are a around N or t he r n P a t a g oni a . Exci te d l y, I re turne d to Ar g e nt i na . F i s hi ng dr i e s on t he M a l l e o fe l t l i ke uncove ri ng a hi dde n t r e a s ur e t ha t ha d a l w a y s be e n the re , wai ti ng to b e d i s cov e r e d. The s a me s e ns a t i on a r os e
11 FIELDNOTES