Fly fisherman Chris O'Byrne
“Fly fishing is a great way to play. There are some distinct advantages to using fly tackle, and fly casting requires athleticism and artistry that traditional tackle doesn’t.”
O’Byrne, a high school sociology teacher, spends weekends and summers teaching the sport he discovered, almost by accident, 10 years ago. “A friend took me out on his boat. All I had was an old fly outfit that had belonged to my father.”
The fish started hitting and O’Byrne was hooked. Five years later he found a way to earn money while enjoying his hobby. “I work at Andy Thornal Company in Winter Haven teaching people how to fish and outfitting them for great adventures all over the world.”
The store (www.andythornal.com) runs schools four times a year and takes individual clients for one or two hour sessions. And, of course, O’Byrne still makes time to cast a few lines himself. Pursuing this passion is what led to the purchase of the r-pod.
“We love to travel with the kids, and I love looking for great fishing spots; but doing the whole hotel thing is like preparing for a military operation.” O’Byrne and his wife, Luci, share this chore; but, especially with two kids in elementary school, the logistics can intrude on the fun.
O’Byrne relates the story of a trip to Tennessee that steered him toward the RV lifestyle. “We were staying in Gatlinburg so it was an hour drive just to get to the parking lot near the stream we wanted to fish. Then it was a mile hike to the water. Just before we got to the stream we passed an RV campground. We fished, then had to carry our gear back to the car ... right past the campground again.”
That afternoon the O’Byrne family did what all hotel vacationers must: drive back to the hotel, then a shower, then out again for dinner, then back to the hotel. The entire time all O’Byrne could think about was that campground. “How much easier it would have been to walk a few feet from the river to my front door, cook dinner right there in my own comfortable kitchen.”
The image of that campground stuck with him as they traveled back to Florida. More time to rest. Less hassle. And, most important, more time to fish. O’Byrne decided it was time to start looking to replace the hotel rooms that added stress to the vacation and kept him further from the fishing.
He approached Luci with the idea; and, together they worked out what they were looking for in an RV. O’Byrne wanted his own shower and a comfortable kitchen. Luci stipulated that her camping experience come with TV and air conditioning. They both wanted room for the kids and something that could be towed without upgrading their current vehicle, a Subaru Outback.
The O’Byrnes were introduced to the Forest River r-pod at Lazydays. They liked what they saw. “Because some campgrounds limit the size of your RV, I wanted a smaller rig that was still big enough for my family.”
And the ultra lite would allow O’Byrne and his family many of the comforts of home without having to upgrade the family transportation. “With the r-pod we get a wet bath, large fridge, convection microwave and a good deal of space – all for a great price.” O’Byrne also appreciated the r-pod’s lightweight, “aerodynamic” construction. “There’s not a lot of room for extras, but the r-pod carries what I need, whether I take the family on a trip or it’s just me and a couple of the guys fishing for the weekend.”
But what really sold O’Byrne and Luci was the service at Lazydays. “The sales staff was very knowledgeable, and the training was a huge plus. Everything was new for me. Just learning how to hook up everything, turn on the propane – and backing the trailer. I would have hated to learn that on my own. So I took the driving course. Not only did I practice the basics of pulling and backing the trailer, I learned some things I would never have picked up on my own.”
So, now that O’Byrne is comfortable towing his r-pod, where is he headed?
“We want to head over to Fort Desoto in Pinellas County or Long Point Park near Sebastian Inlet in Brevard. Both offer great camping near the water and terrific fly fishing opportunities.”
I suggested the delicious fish dip at Long Point Bait & Tackle, and he agreed to give it a try. And when will he go back to the campground that inspired this vacation transformation? “That campground is in Cade’s Cove in Tennessee, and it’s definitely on my list. There’s fishing, of course, and horseback riding, hikes, historic structures. And it’s all right outside the RV.”
And where is O’Byrne’ favorite Florida fishing spot? “Well, what am I fishing for? Tarpon? Large Mouth Bass? Red Fish in Spartina Grass? Bone Fish on flats? Shad? Snook? I can’t pick a favorite.” O’Byrne pauses. “And with the r-pod I don’t have to.
I can go anywhere they’re biting.”
Chris O’Byrne on Fly Fishing
The main difference between fly fishing and conventional fishing is where the weight is.
With conventional tackle you’re casting a light line attached to a weighted lure. With fly fishing, the lure is very light and the line is weighted. This requires very different techniques. There’s definitely an art to it.
People should definitely not try to teach themselves how to fly cast. The motion just doesn’t feel natural at first. It’s a lot like golf in that you might be able to teach yourself, but you will likely learn a lot of bad habits that hurt your performance.
One mistake we see a lot is too much wrist. Both a bent wrist on the back cast and too much front cast can cause problems.
Another mistake, and this is less technical, is impatience. Many fisher-men spend too much time chucking lures and not enough time finding fish.
Go slow. Pay attention. Spend more time looking and you’ll cast to more fish.