Justin Moore
Thanksgiving, for me, is omnipresent here in the Roaring Fork Valley. I’m not talking turkey and cranberry sauce here, I’m speaking to the gifts we receive every day. I give thanks every day I hit the water, whether it be floating the Colorado or Roaring Fork, fishing an epic dry fly hatch on the Fryingpan, or teasing up tiny brook trout on a remote mountain lake or stream. It’s easy to be thankful here; we are spoiled rotten.
I am thankful to know so many talented fishing guides. Fishing guides are on the front lines of conservation every day, and I learn something from each of them every time we fish. I am thankful for the clients that come here to fish with us. Over the last 43 years we have had the pleasure of fishing with so many wonderful people, now we are on the river with their children and grandchildren. When fly fishing is shared down through the generations, it pulls those families closer together.
I am thankful to live in a country where fishing is a right, not a privilege. My parents put a rod in my hand at a very early age, and for this I am very thankful. A boy on a dock with a can of worms and a close faced reel is Americana as it gets. Fishing creates lasting memories, there are fish I still remember today that I caught as a boy.
It may sound silly, but I am most thankful for water. As far as we know, it is required for life to flourish, and flourish it does here in the Roaring Fork Valley. Skiers, paddlers, hospitality workers, farmers, fish and fishermen alike absolutely rely on it. Water is the lifeblood of this valley, and we all owe thanks for it. When you go around the table this year sharing what you are most thankful for, I hope the people, water and amazing landscape we call home are at the top of your list.
This report is provided every week by Taylor Creek Fly Shops in Aspen and Basalt. Taylor Creek can be reached at 970-927-4374 or taylorcreek.com.
