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Christian Outdoor Recreation: Reporting on: Routine for the Men’s Retreat

Normally before breakfast some people will take a hike up the road with camera’s to find wildlife and are rarely disappointed as they may see bear, elk, deer and an occasional bobcat. After breakfast people did a number of things like trout fishing, horseshoes, shooting traps and rifles along with other games. Last year one person who was quite knowledgeable about fly fishing held a class on how to use a fly rod. He had enough students that he could only spend a little time with each of us. I was the only one there with a steelhead fly rod and I never did catch on to what he meant by loading before pulling the line forward. This year though I was determined to learn how to use that fly rod, so I did not even bring a regular fishing pole like I did the years before. This gave me the determination to fish with it in spite of my lack of not knowing how to throw the line out right. I was right behind a friend that had caught 3 out of a fairly nice hole and never got another hit so he moved on. I stayed at that hole for probably 15mins and started keeping the line a little more taunt and got to the place where I knew was getting hits and in the next few minutes caught 3 fish with one being 9”and gave it to a little boy that was 7 yrs old. The next hole was larger and I caught a couple of little ones and threw them back. But on the next throw I hooked one 15 to16” and after about 30 to 40 seconds I pulled it to the top where I could see it real good and the hook came loose. When we got back to camp for lunch, I was able to say I had caught some fish with my fly rod and I would have to say that was a big hurtle for me but I knew I had to learn to throw my line out right! Saturday afternoon split the whole group for half of them wanted to stay and shoot guns or play games in the shade, while the others wanted to go down the canyon to where the 3 creeks in that area enter the river and fish but we found in some places that the road that used to go down through there was extremely rough and impassable in some places where water had washed it out and brush had grown up in it. So after about 4 miles we got out and walked, hoping to find some rapids because the river was fairly flat in that area without the water moving much at all with willows growing everywhere. After walking some distance; most of us started fishing in the calm water while two others continuing to walk about a quarter of a mile until they found some rapids with a nice hole down below. About an hour later, they came walking back with a couple of 16”trout and others 9 to12” long. As for the ones that fished in the calmer water, most of us caught an occasional squaw fish, small bass or trout. That evening after supper, a very special devotional was presented by our guest speaker, who was and is a leader of a number treks that takes groups to the summit of some of the highest peaks in the cascade mountain range. After half of the devotional was given, several people including the pastor left for home needing to be in church the following morning. The next day was to be our departure date from the area. After breakfast the following morning, we heard the climax of the devotional that was presented the night before. After that, a number of fellows wanted to fish one more time till lunch! I then ask a friend who knew how to use a fly rod very well to show me what I was doing wrong with my throwing technique. What I received from his instruction will benefit me immensely in the days to come! After lunch we took down our tents and repacked everything in the trailers and pickups and took off for home. That men’s retreat was the best we ever had including one of the finest devotionals I have ever heard.

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