I think it's about time I introduce myself here...
I was born at an early age in Stavanger, Norway and lived there until I was 2 years old when I moved to Houston where I grew up. I caught my first bream and bass at age 3 in Vicksburg, MS with my grandma and have had a deep passion for fishing ever since. I would spend my summers in Vicksburg with my grandma and when I was old enough, I would 'work' for my uncle in his beer distributorship when I couldn't be at the pond.
At about age 12, I joined a bass club in north Houston and fished the monthly tournaments with them until I graduated from high school. After high school, I moved to Nacogdoches, TX to go to college. At this point, I had several interests but fishing was still competing for first place. I started to get a little bored with conventional bass fishing and decided to give fly fishing for bass and bream a try. I dug out an older mismatched rod and reel that I bought when I was 12 and took my float tube out to Ratcliff Lake there in East Texas with a few poppers I found at the Wal-Mart. I ended up whacking myself in the head several times before I started to make sense of what I had to do to get the fly out there. By the end of the several hours I had that day, I had hooked, lost and landed many nice bream and bass. In fact I came away from that first time out with a fly rod having enjoyed myself more than I could remember since those days with my grandma. That was in '98.
Not long after that I found a great shop in Tyler, TX called Backcountry with a man named Jim Green that gave me a few lessons on how to cast, sold me a couple rods, taught me how to tie some flies and sold me a kayak.
I now live in St. Louis, MO and had to sell off the kayak and my rods to afford to go to grad school (Covenant Seminary) here. The schooling ended up not working out but I now supervise the maintenance department there (isn't it funny how things come full circle?). Two years ago today, on Father's Day, my wife got together with my best friend and bought me a 5 wt. TFO combo that I have tremendously enjoyed but have felt that it was overkill for what I enjoy fishing for: bream! For Father's day this year, she surprised me with a great little 3 wt rod (Cabela's TQR) that is really up my alley. My kids (4 1/2 and 1 year this week) seem to really 'get' my enthusiasm for fishing and I look forward to teaching them what my grandma taught me.
I'm glad I found this forum. It's a unique place and I look forward to getting to know y'all better! Let me know if any of you live in or visit St. Louis any time! I also go down to the Mother Land (Texas) a few times a year to visit family and try to fish when I can.
I really dig this UL way of fishing as it suits my personality better.
Chris
I was born at an early age in Stavanger, Norway and lived there until I was 2 years old when I moved to Houston where I grew up. I caught my first bream and bass at age 3 in Vicksburg, MS with my grandma and have had a deep passion for fishing ever since. I would spend my summers in Vicksburg with my grandma and when I was old enough, I would 'work' for my uncle in his beer distributorship when I couldn't be at the pond.
At about age 12, I joined a bass club in north Houston and fished the monthly tournaments with them until I graduated from high school. After high school, I moved to Nacogdoches, TX to go to college. At this point, I had several interests but fishing was still competing for first place. I started to get a little bored with conventional bass fishing and decided to give fly fishing for bass and bream a try. I dug out an older mismatched rod and reel that I bought when I was 12 and took my float tube out to Ratcliff Lake there in East Texas with a few poppers I found at the Wal-Mart. I ended up whacking myself in the head several times before I started to make sense of what I had to do to get the fly out there. By the end of the several hours I had that day, I had hooked, lost and landed many nice bream and bass. In fact I came away from that first time out with a fly rod having enjoyed myself more than I could remember since those days with my grandma. That was in '98.
Not long after that I found a great shop in Tyler, TX called Backcountry with a man named Jim Green that gave me a few lessons on how to cast, sold me a couple rods, taught me how to tie some flies and sold me a kayak.
I now live in St. Louis, MO and had to sell off the kayak and my rods to afford to go to grad school (Covenant Seminary) here. The schooling ended up not working out but I now supervise the maintenance department there (isn't it funny how things come full circle?). Two years ago today, on Father's Day, my wife got together with my best friend and bought me a 5 wt. TFO combo that I have tremendously enjoyed but have felt that it was overkill for what I enjoy fishing for: bream! For Father's day this year, she surprised me with a great little 3 wt rod (Cabela's TQR) that is really up my alley. My kids (4 1/2 and 1 year this week) seem to really 'get' my enthusiasm for fishing and I look forward to teaching them what my grandma taught me.
I'm glad I found this forum. It's a unique place and I look forward to getting to know y'all better! Let me know if any of you live in or visit St. Louis any time! I also go down to the Mother Land (Texas) a few times a year to visit family and try to fish when I can.
I really dig this UL way of fishing as it suits my personality better.
Chris
