09/18/2026
We don’t post about our guided trips or what’s for sale in the fly shop. That’s intentional. We want this little corner of the internet to be inspirational, not transactional. We want you to watch our videos and feel inspired to fly fish, hike, bike, explore, or simply get outside.
With that being said, this post is about a guided trip. Not to encourage you to book one, but because the people I was fortunate enough to guide left me truly inspired.
Meet Josh and Melissa. Josh and Melissa are both legally blind. Josh has retinitis pigmentosa, creating tunnel vision, while Melissa has toxic optic neuropathy leaving her with limited peripheral vision. As they put it, between the two of them, they have “one good eye.”
When I heard “legally blind,” I’ll be honest—I was concerned. Wet wading a mountain stream is challenging enough with slippery rocks, and I wasn’t sure I was prepared to paint a picture of everything happening around us. How far to cast. When to set the hook. Where to step. How to move through the creek.
But those concerns washed downstream the moment I met them.We eased into the creek, communicating, guiding, learning fly fishing, and learning about each other along the way.
I’ve always said the fish are a bonus. Being able to stand in a mountain stream and experience the beauty of the natural world is enough.This time, those fish were a small prize for me.The bigger prize was spending a few hours with two people who could have chosen to stay home, but instead chose to get outside and live.
One of the things I love most about fly fishing is how it brings together people who might otherwise never cross paths. It was an absolute privilege to connect with Josh and Melissa through something I love so much.
Their goal in sharing this story is to inspire people—to remind us that no matter what predicament life puts in front of you, don’t stop living.
Go outside. Find a creek. Walk a trail. Ride a bike. Sit under a tree. Do something that makes you feel alive.Because a life outside is a life well lived.
Thank you, Josh and Melissa, for reminding me of that.
