Shelter Cove - 8/8/22

Annie signed her and her beau, Kent, up for a run through the Oldgrowth Corridor of the South Fork with me back in early June.  They had a blast, and Kent expressed interest in a followup trip to check out kayak fishing offshore at the Cove.  Yesterday was our day, and the forecast couldn't have been better.

I got down to the ramp at my usual time:  O'dark-thirty.  Setting up all of my gear plus full outfitting for my guest means that having a half hour to work alone is my quiet time, as I put together the pieces of our kits and make sure that the details are dialed in.  I love these peaceful moments of anticipation - especially as the dawn reveals a nearly perfect sea surface.

Kent was right on time.  I hooked him up with wetsuit, booties, paddle jacket and PFD, and he topped off the ensemble with sunscreen, hat, glasses and a snack.  After a brief run through the fishing equipment and a demonstration of the trolling technique, we were launched onto a gorgeous ocean along with the day's first powerboaters. 

Over the next couple of hours I went through the usual instruction and assistance routines, and the fish were biting well.  Kent brought great mojo, landing a big vermillion, a legal lingcod and countless black rockfish to start out the day.  In our pre-trip correspondence, Kent had confirmed that he'd never been seasick, and I thought that meant he'd been out on boats enough to know it.  Turns out he hadn't been on the ocean since around 1980!  This was a good day to test whether he was susceptible to the queeze or not - later he'd tell me that just for a moment he could feel something stirring, but it subsided and everything worked out just right.

After enjoying a steady bite out on the reef I suggested that we head in to the beach where we could enjoy fishing along the wild coastline with an eye on finding a halibut.  We stayed barbless (all summer!) in hopes of finding a salmon, but none were announced for the day - again.  No worries - we found some good stuff anyway, and what I saw building in Kent throughout the day was that he was having a blast.  He confided later in the session that the trip had been much better than he'd imagined that it would be.  This wasn't a surprise to me, as I often read in the reactions of those enquiring about such things that they're not quite buying what I'm selling.  That is to say, I try to give it straight when I describe these trips - with true details and genuine emotion - and it seems that people have a natural inclination to disregard some of what's reported, or to figure that embellishment or hyperbole are being used in order to elicit a response.  When I routinely get to see my guests experiencing the joy of the catching, in awe of the grandeur of the Lost Coast backdrop, appreciating the wildlife and the raw elements of the air and the water around us, it brings a smile to my face to think that even after I toil to pour my heart into these reports, that some don't quite fully realize that what I'm talking about is real and attainable.

Many years ago I discovered an incredible dynamic that exists between the experiences that I have and the reporting of those events.  I found that by using media - photos, videos and narratives - I could effectively bring those who viewed my work along for the adventures.  By expressing not just the details and the facts about what I'd seen and touched on my trip but also what I'd felt, I was making connections with others who share the desire to feel, and that turns out to be just about everyone.  I have often written and spoken about how I managed to develop somewhat of a system, where, because I was loving the sharing of the true details of my trip and also the genuine emotions that I was feeling, I was motivated to go find the next adventure and to capture the details as effectively as possible so that I could come back to this keyboard to share it with an audience who would top off my stoke and validate my whole scheme through their feedback.  That feedback is often an appreciation for learning or for beauty, but the best of it - the most heartfelt - is about emotion.  To put it as simply as I can, I discovered that I was thriving on the sharing and the inspiration, and that, in turn, was fueling my next round of adventure.  I was self-actualizing amazing experiences, and the ultimate irony was that I was doing it in order to feel the stoke coming back at me from whoever was reading, seeing, hearing and feeling what I had to offer.

I developed this M.O. on NCKA.

When Annie and Kent ran the river with me I saw the wonder and appreciation in their eyes as we traversed miles of the OG Corridor and visited two virgin creeks.  That experience pushed Kent to enquire and eventually sign up for the Cove trip.  Once I had him in the wetsuit, launched onto the ocean and running the gear the way I wanted him to, all I had to do was react to what I knew was coming.  The fish did much of the rest of the work!  These trips aren't just about fishing.  The catches add so much to the experience, but overall, the feelings that are elicited and the stoke that is attained are about the adventure as a whole.  If all of the elements come together - like what happened for Kent and I yesterday - my job as a guide is done. 

What I'm selling is about way more than a feeling or big sacks of fresh fish.  It's about what my people can take home with them in the form of inspiration in their lives.

We are all going to die.  It's the ultimate truth.  What we do while we're alive can counteract any and all negative connotations of that realization.  There's no one formula for achieving some level of contentedness, inspiration, love, motivation, altruism or soulfulness.  What there is, is opportunity - all around us - to have true details and genuine emotions carry us forward in life.  Everything else is just a place marker.

At the end of our day, Kent loaded me up with a nice tip on top of my fee.  I could feel how much the trip meant to him, and I think he knew very well that money doesn't motivate me to take people out any more than it does to share and to hope to inspire others.  I operate on a level that is designed to fulfill my heart - the money just allows me to develop my craft and to grow in my own goals and my vision for how I can do things to try to make the world a better place.

Peace out, NCKA.  Thank you for helping me find my place and do my thing.   

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