Dear Editor:

I am writing this letter to show our deepest gratitude to the gentlemen at Taylor Creek Fly Shop in Basalt.

I’m a teacher at Aspen High School and was the course leader for the Fly Fishing in the Valley Experiential Education course. The course was designed to provide a low-cost, stay-at-home option for students interested in learning to fly fish our gold medal waters. After several meetings over the past few months, the course wrapped up with a week on the Roaring Fork and Fryingpan rivers.

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A group of five students and I would like to thank Will, Kirk, Brandon, Josh, Travis, Tyler and Lincoln from Taylor Creek. For the second year in a row, Will arranged for our group to borrow waders, boots and fly rods for the week – all free of charge.

The guides volunteered their services, including stopping by on their days off to work with the students. They instructed the students in proper casting, tying knots and entomology. Once we hit the river, they worked with each student on the overall skills needed to read the water, cross rivers at appropriate places, and safely catch, handle and release the fish. We had a fantastic week. Everyone, including those students new to the sport, caught and released multiple fish each day. This is great testament to the skills of the guides!

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Again, we truly appreciate everything that the gentlemen at Taylor Creek did to help us. The kids had an incredible time, learned a great deal, and are excited to use their newfound skills in the future. I believe they have begun a lifelong appreciation of the art of fly fishing.

Sue Wasienko

Fly Fishing in the Valley Experiential Education course leader, Aspen High School