MMM–May is Mentoring Month
Chuck Furimsky, founder of The Fly Fishing Shows, is, as you would suspect, an avid angler. He is also an avid promoter of the sport, especially to the younger generations. He recently issued this challenge to the fly fishing industry:
“Pick a day and take a child, teenager, cousin, wife, or friend for a day of mentoring that just might change their lives forever. I want you to steal my idea. Every T.U. club, FFI chapter; fly shop, manufacturer, and fly fisher who wants to pass along their passion for our sport must band together and create a mentoring movement. Share your success on social media and make everyone, everywhere, and every day in May special for the future of fly fishing.”
For his MMM trip he fished with the two boys of the women that work in his office—Jenny Barkman’ 9-year old son, Ben, and Missy Schultz’s 5-year old boy, Diem. They had a great day, catching not only a goodly number of fish, but several species as well. As Chuck was helping Ben land the last of 14 fish for the day, he looked up at Chuck with a smile and said, ‘When I grow up I want to be a professional fly fisherman.’
Notes Chuck: “My goal was to perhaps introduce someone to fly-fishing and help grow our sport. Never did I imagine I might be mentoring the next Lefty Kreh.”
Note: In the movie, “A River Runs Through it,” there is a great scene where young Norman and Paul are lying on their backs in the grass, and Norman asks Paul what he wants to be when he grows up. Paul replies, “Mmmm, a professional fly fisherman.”
Note 2: Any month can be a mentoring month. Go for it.
Ben with a nice perch, Mentor Chuck smiles.too.
Nothing like fifty bass to hook you on fly fishing.
Diem nailed a really nice sunfish!