By Eddie Hudon
This story starts out after I had an extremely good day of fishing the Tuckaseegee River in Dillsboro, NC. Heading home late that evening, I saw a car parked in one of the pull-offs next to the “Tuck.” I stopped to introduce myself and ask how the fishing was for them. Quincy Thayer introduced herself and her two sons, Jake (17) and Bryce (12). She said, “ we’ve been here for over 2 hours and we haven’t gotten a bite!” I said that I could show them what I would do if I were fishing here. I went to my car, took out my fly rod, and we all proceeded to the river bank. I explained that I was going to throw my line upstream and let it drift down the river’s current.
On my first cast, I caught a 12” Rainbow Trout. “HOW DID YOU DO THAT …THAT’S CRAZY! IT WAS LIKE MAGIC! HOW DID YOU DO THAT!” I said, “did you ever hear of the Cabernaro Effect? I’m a magician. I have a TV show called The Cabernaro Effect. Look across the river. Do you see the camera? NO… (LOL)”
Well, it wasn’t magic, and we are not on TV. I was just lucky to have the right flies and the perfect drift, I explained. Quincy said they only have one day left before they go back to Florida, and wanted to know if I could show Jake how to fly fish. So she hired me for the next day. I decided to bring the family to the upper section of the Tuck, where Jake and I proceed to enter the river. After a few practice casts, Jake was ready to fly fish for the first time. I picked a nice section of the river and the fish were ready to play. One after another, Jake kept pulling them in. I asked Quincy if she would like to try her luck. It didn’t take long for her to start catching fish. In fact, she hooked and landed a 20” Rainbow! A real trophy fish. Next, I hear Jake yelling, “ I got a big one!” He was right. An 18” Rainbow. How could this get any better? Let’s not forget Bryce, who was sitting in the car watching all of this happen. I left the river and told him I brought an extra set of waders and boots that should fit him perfectly. Long story short, he also caught a 18” Rainbow. All three have made BLUE CHIP FLY FISHING’S Wall of Fame. Check out our web-site to see their trophys.
I’m glad I stopped to meet the Thayer family. I believe that our time together helped to make their trip here to Jackson County, a memorable one. The Thayers tell me they are still talking about this trip. I’m sure they will be back to visit us!
The Cabernaro Effect is a TV show, staring Michael Cabernaro. He is a actor, comedian and magician. I wish he had been there, at that moment, when Quincy said, “HOW DID YOU DO THAT!” I felt like a magician too.
Eddie Hudon is the owner of Blue Chip Fly Fishing and guides on waters in Jackson and Swain Counties.
