As far as backyards go, 鈥檚 is tough to beat. Hutcheson鈥檚 parents worked for the National Park Service, and she and her two siblings were raised in Columbia Falls, Montana, just outside Glacier National Park. 鈥淭here were basically no limitations on where we could go,鈥 she says. It鈥檚 ironic, then, that Hutcheson鈥攚ho now owns her own fly shop in Columbia Falls and is a fly-fishing guide in addition to being an ambassador for YETI coolers鈥斺渄iscovered鈥 the sport not on an idyllic trout stream but in the neighbor鈥檚 shed, where she and her sis Whitney found a stash of old fly-fishing gear. They hauled the rod to a river, took turns casting the line, started catching fish, and haven鈥檛 stopped since.
As two young women of Asian and German descent, they didn’t look like your typical fly-fishing junkies. But they made it work. They found jobs as nannies, house cleaners, equipment sorters, and, later, raft guides. And they were so taken by the Montana wilderness, the mystery of rivers, and the challenge of rafting and fishing that they鈥檝e built their lives around these pursuits. 鈥淲hen I first started,鈥 Hutcheson says, 鈥減eople were surprised that I was their guide because I didn鈥檛 look the part…small stature, female. But I dealt with it by giving people a killer day, and now people book me specifically.鈥 For Hutcheson, who is also raising two children, fishing is her lifeblood. 鈥淚t鈥檚 biologically tied into who we are, and helps us understand why we鈥檙e here,鈥 she says.
The best part, says Hutcheson, is how affordable and accessible the sport is to everyone, regardless of who you are or where you live. There鈥檚 great fishing in practically every state, and the sport鈥檚 ranks are filled with generous anglers eager to share their passion. 鈥淚鈥檝e seen it over and over. A person will come in looking for a fly rod and say they don鈥檛 have any money,鈥 says Hutcheson. 鈥淚鈥檒l tell them to get on an online forum鈥攁nd watch the magic.鈥 A kid recently said he wanted to tie flies but couldn鈥檛 afford a vise. Within minutes, several people had offered theirs鈥攚ith one even offering to ship one for free. How cool is that?
Take聽Me Fishing鈩 and Vamos A Pescar鈩 are the national campaigns from the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. RBFF strives to increase participation in recreational boating and fishing, thereby helping to conserve and restore our country鈥檚 aquatic natural resources. Learn more at聽.