Miscellaneous
We caught up with Alberto Rey this week, but even after talking with him, we're still not sure how to introduce him to you. He's a fly guy for sure, but he's much more than that. Try guide, writer, photographer, artist, videographer, conservationist, non-profit organizer, and most importantly, a husband and father. Chris connected with Alberto after reading an article he penned for the Summer 2018 edition of Anglers Journal called "Ties That Bind." In that article, Alberto shared some incredible stories and observations from time he spent with his son on a spectacular trip to New Zealand. That article, and that trip, kicked off our conversation. Soon after, he shared some fantastic details of some of the more exotic locales in which he's dropped a line: Cuba, Nepal, Iceland...and his backyard. As we mentioned earlier, he's a guide - but not just any guide. He's an Orvis Certified guide, and his back yard bellies up to one of the best steelhead streams in the United States! He and Kevin swapped stories and questions about the thrill (and frustration) of the guiding business. If you've ever hired a guide and wanted to know how hard they're working for you, this is a discussion you'll need to hear. Alberto shared the story of "Children In The Stream" with us as well; it's the non-profit organization he founded back in 1998. According to his website: "Children in the Stream is an educational program that provides children with information and experiences related to aquatic resources, conservation, ethics, and fly fishing. Fly fishing has a long history of integrating these elements into the core of the sport. The ethics of the program promotes “catch and release” as well as respect for fellow fisherman and the land on which one fishes. It is our goal to protect the species and the land for future generations. Our program closely ties together the importance of understanding nature with the rewarding act of fly fishing." You can listen and decide for yourself, but we can't say enough good things about this program; it's a beautiful thing. In his heart, Alberto is truly an artist, and we also talked with him about his work. If you head to his website, www.albertorey.com, you'll be able to check some of his amazing paintings of fish, habitats, portraits of people...and even some beautifully unique Icelandic flies. But we also encourage you to visit www.extinctbirdsproject.com, the online home of his latest book. Extinct Birds Project is an amazing undertaking with a powerful message, and he shares the history behind it with us. We were really happy to have Alberto on with us, but this episode also presented some spirited conversation between the three of us about technological innovation in the fishing industry, and how it's affecting anglers. Is technology sapping the thrill out of fishing? Finally, we updated everyone on IGFA's Fishing Contest. As of this episode's post date, contestants have less than two weeks to try to win. With 74 different freshwater and saltwater species eligible for prizes, what are you waiting for? Hook 'em up! Check out contest details here: https://www.igfa.org/contests/fishing/Default.aspx