Year after year, my children asked the same question, “What do you want to do on Mother’s Day?” My son and daughter already knew the answer before they asked. Being the considerate, thoughtful people they are, they asked anyway. I always responded with “I want to go fly fishing”.
Every year Michael, Sarah and I loaded the truck with fly rods & flies, ice chest, sunscreen, swimsuits, snacks then drove off through the blue-bonnet covered hills of central Texas to the Llano River. The clear, clean waters of the Llano nourished our souls and gave us many fish. Our accommodations on most Mother’s Day weekends were at the Dabbs Hotel.
The Dabbs was, and still is, an old railroad inn, owned by the very entertaining proprietor, Gary Smith. Late in the evenings we would gather inside at the Dabbs’ family-style dining table, with “Yeller”, Gary’s black lab, and swap fishing stories.
One special memory of flyfishing the Llano behind the Dabbs, was with my daughter. We had waded out into the water to fish and were having quite a peaceful morning. I could hear scruffling noises that alerted me someone was coming up the riverbank. Suddenly, two overall clad men stared at us in amazement. One of them blurted out loud “Well, lookie there! Two women and they’re flyfishing!”
Mother’s Day, 2004 is no different from past years, I still want to go flyfishing. There have been a few changes. A successful flyfishing business, www.constanceflyfishing.com, grew from the Mother’s Day flyfishing adventures on the Llano. In August 2003, I moved my flyfishing business to Springfield, Missouri. My 27-year-old daughter is married now and lives in Lawrence, Kansas and my 30-year-old son lives in New York City. This year, my daughter and her husband Mike will meet me in Flippin, Arkansas on Friday night. Early Saturday morning we will load up our truck, hitch up the johnboat and head out for the White River. This year when I was asked what I wanted for Mother’s Day of course I gave the same reply “I want to go flyfishing” but this time my sweetheart Davy Wotton, my daughter Sarah and son-in-law Mike will cast our flies to the White River for world-class rainbows, browns, and cut throats. I know when I get home there will be a big bouquet of fresh flowers sent directly from New York City. I am blessed with two wonderful children who know flyfishing has always been and will always remain their mother’s passion.
