By Aaron Kephart
My original intent for this month was to relay a brief fishing forecast for August and spend some time on tips for fishing with kids (which I do a lot), but as I sat down to write this article I received a phone call that changed my focus entirely. To put it bluntly, most guides write magazine articles to try and recruit new business, and I am no exception. However, if you happened to notice, all of my pictures this month contained the same gentleman, Mr. Bill Youngblood. Bill was one of my first, and quite frankly one of my favorite, clients, and I always looked forward to every opportunity to spend time in the boat with him. If I am remembering correctly, I probably guided him a half dozen or so times this year, and every single trip was one I looked forward to. Unfortunately for everyone that knew him, Bill passed away unexpectedly yesterday at his cabin in Murphy, and I would be remiss as a friend if I did not spend time in my allotted space this month to remember him. While my words will in no way do justice to the man that Bill was, I at least want to try.
My business is grounded in relationships. While I always welcome new clients, I don’t do a lot of advertising, instead preferring to let my business grow primarily through referrals and repeat clients. Some of those relationships that I form eventually extend beyond business, and a few can quickly transcend client status and evolve into friendships. Bill was a case in point. The first time I guided Bill I felt like I had known him all my life, and despite our significant age difference, we quickly found common ground. If I am not mistaken, I guided him for the first time on Chatuge on a Wednesday, and on Thursday he called me and booked a trip on Apalachia for Friday. You could say we hit it off right from the start. I have had the honor and privilege of coming in contact with some incredible people in my time as a fishing guide, and none have left a bigger impression on me than Mr. Bill. I had the opportunity to guide Bill, his wife, a number of his friends, and a good portion of his grandchildren on numerous trips and lakes in the Murphy area. Every single excursion was memorable and enjoyable, regardless of the quality of the fishing. He was a man of faith, family, and integrity, and he will be sorely missed.
Bill always showed genuine concern for my own personal health (always encouraging me to quit dipping and to get more sleep), my family (never forgetting to ask about my wife and kids), and for my financial wellbeing (always offering free financial advice, a field in which he was an expert). He always displayed love for the sport of fishing, but more importantly, he displayed a concern for his fellow man. He was one of those rare few, who genuinely cared for others as much as he did for himself. When I opened my email to compose this article I had an unopened email in my inbox from Bill just checking in on me and how I was doing. He offered valued advice to me via text a few times in the last couple of weeks concerning the future direction of my business (I truly believe he had more faith in me than I have in myself) and also about the pros and cons of the new boat purchase I have been considering. Bill did not stand to profit in the least from any of this, but was simply reaching out to lend a helping hand. The world could use a lot more people like him.
It is hard to make sense of loss sometimes. Bill’s loss keeps making me think of one thought: keep things in context. I spend an inordinate amount of my time either fishing or preparing to fish, and I am always thinking about how to make sure my next clients catch the most fish possible. This is not a bad way to spend life, and I am supremely blessed to be in a position to profit financially from something that I love dearly. However, some of the most important things involved in what I do (at least for me) don’t necessarily involve fish, but the people I get to encounter. On multiple occasions in recent months Bill invited me out for a meal, but between guiding, teaching, kids, and all of the other things that clutter my schedule, I never found the right opportunity to meet up with him. Those are opportunities I will never have now, and I sorely regret missing out on them.
I would like to close this month with this thought on my mind: enjoy your family, enjoy your friends, and if you love fishing as much as I do and as much as Bill did, enjoy every single opportunity that you have to spend time on the water, especially if it’s with people that matter to you. Bill froze half to death with me on February mornings chasing smallmouth on Apalachia and nearly melted in the August heat chasing giant spots on Chatuge and stripers on Hiwassee, but I wouldn’t trade a second of it, and I sincerely hope he felt the same way.
Aaron Kephart is the Owner of Mountain Lakes Guide Service. To book a guided trip on one of the Murphy area mountain lakes, contact him by phone at 865-466-1345 or by email at mtnlakesguide@outlook.com Check out his website at www.mtnlakesguideservice.com and catch him on facebook@mountainlakesguideservice