Back around 1993 my future wife and I were checking out an Outdoor Sporting good store. They sold Backpacking, Camping, Water Sports goods, and they were also an Orvis Fly Fishing Dealer. I knew all about regular fishing, but had no clue about Fly Fishing. I was just moving from section to section until I ended up in the Fly Fishing section- not there for the fishing products. I had seen a hat.

It looked like a real adventurer’s hat- like an Indiana Jone’s hat or something like that. Back then money was a bit tight for me and this hat was well over the price of a normal hat. I was casually going to school and worked in a wood shop making knock down furniture and futon furniture. The hat really spoke to me, so I had to have it. As of late my future wife had been trying to get ideas for my up and coming birthday. She must have seen me in the fishing section and maybe a light sprung on. I probably showed her the great hat that I was determined to buy and I remember her asking me if I wanted a fishing rod for my birthday.

Well after a while and lots of explaining by a very friendly and helpful sales person, she bought me a 5 weight clear water 8 1/2″ Orvis fly rod. It came in two sections, so it’s case was just over 4′ long. Back then my major mode of transportation was a mountain bike and the bus. I remember taking that big tube home on the public transit system- both excited and unsure. And so a obsession was born and the ability to say it’s all your fault to my wife. All I knew for sure that day was that I looked good in my hat (and I still do today).