My First Bachelor Pad
A look back at my first guide shack on the Dean River.
My first cabin on the Dean was small. Somewhere around 8-feet wide by 10-feet long. But it was my space; my bedroom at my home away from home. Everything at the old lodge was simple; 2x4 framing, stained sheathing (plywood) as siding, a showerhouse… we just had everything we needed and no extras. I loved it, and I miss it to this day. It was a lovely steelhead “camp.”
When I started on the Dean River at eighteen, guides Steve and Paul had their respective cabins. Paul’s was an old, retired showerhouse converted into a guide cabin. Steve’s was an old guest cabin. I was left with the small, vacant shack that was named “Lone Bear’s Lair” by one of my predecessors (Robertson or Jarrid?) who had written it on the door casing.
Nostalgia is a powerful thing. I think I am drawn to the way things were because it was during an important time. That late teenager / early adult stage, having just left the “nest,” when we’re figuring things out and becoming the person who we are today. Not to mention all of the discovery in a unique work environment surrounded by wild beauty.
Inside my cabin was a bunk bed: a lower bed with a double mattress, and an upper single. Painted plywood floor and walls that was the standard out there. Eventually I installed some used laminate flooring, that we replaced in one of the guest cabins after a small flood, to spruce up my joint. There was a diesel Coleman stove for heat (that was a pain in the ass to light). And in the corner beside the door was a desk that I used for fly tying.
I spent many hours in my pad with the music blaring while I was playing with feathers and fur. Everything was relatively new, and in my head there was always a new fly pattern or something to tweak that would increase our productivity the next day on the water. It was at that desk, inside that little cabin, I came up with a few winners that many of my friends and guests would recognize: the Vitamin C, Spazmonatraitor, Eggy Leggy, Orange Crush, Margarita… The desk was coated in head cement, superglue, sharpie, and dyes leeched off of marabou and rabbit. And it was usually just as messy as what you could imagine the rest of the cabin would look like in the hands of a greasy little guide that age.
Eventually, the tiny guide cabin would reach the same fate as the rest of the entire lodge. A large, “200-year” flood would chug through camp, re-direct the river so that it was right on our doorstep, and we would rebuild at a new location just down river.
The new lodge is breath-taking, especially considering it was built in the middle of nowhere, primarily by staff. But I still miss that charming old lodge, river views, and in some twisted way, that tiny little cabin.
Media
Here are some various forms of media that I’ve enjoyed recently and I thought I would share. Please feel free to send me some content as well.
The Orvis Fly Fishing Guide - Is it a Steelhead or a Rainbow? With Katie Kobayashi
An interesting listen on steelhead biology and life strategies. Fast forward to the 32-minute mark. Great info here; steelhead are amazing!
BCFFF - Fly Lines Magazine
Latest issue of Fly Lines, a seasonal publication of the BC Federation of Fly Fishers. A beautifully-done, free online magazine. Please consider becoming a member.
Phil Rowley Fly Fishing - Changing Flies With Changing Conditions
A video by Phil showcasing the intricacies of stillwater fly-fishing. A day on the water with changing conditions. This will get you fired up to tackle some lakes!
Recent Articles
In case you’ve missed my last few written pieces:
Wow! This brings so many great memories back, Doug. I remember your first year very well. The three of you were so much fun and all terrific guides. And, of course, I remember, kinda, late nights in Steve’s cabin and paying for it the next morning!
Thanks for sharing this!