Fly Fishing Trips

Each April, CUMC Sports organizes a 3-Day Family and Friends Fly Fishing Trip to Beavers Bend State Park in Broken Bow Oklahoma.

In addition, CUMC Sports partners with the Methodist Men for regular fly fishing retreats. Read below about a recent retreat

For more information about the Methodist Men please visit methodistmen.cumc.com

You can come to just hang out, or take advantage of a guided tour from Three Rivers Fly Shop.



Successful Trip

A few weeks ago Dan Cone, Bill Brady and I made a trip to Beaver's Bend State Park to fish the Lower Mountain Fork River. Some may have wondered why we even attempted to carry out this trip given the small number of participants and the cold and windy forecast. All I can say is that each of us loves the outdoors, being away from city lights, getting to know each other, and learning from each other. Also, we like to fool trout using feathers tied to a hook!

We don’t have stories of large trout brought to hand on light weight rods. We don’t have tales of worn out nets from landed trout to numerous to count. And fishermen did not seek our guidance when choosing the right fly. Then why would I title this article "Successful Trip"? I was asking myself that same question as we drove home. The three of us totaled nine fish during our time at Beaver's Bend State Park. Actually, that's like the guy who scored four points the night Wilt Chamberlain scored a 100 and said that he and Wilt scored 104 points. You see, Dan Cone caught eight fish, Bill Brady caught one fish, and I caught nothing. I guess that's why we call it "fishing" and not "catching".

I covered more water this trip than any previous trip and caught less fish. The Oklahoma Wildlife and Parks Department just planted 8,000 trout in various places along the river. What was I missing? I have all the newest equipment, the latest flies from the local fly shop, and I'm adequate with a fly rod. Am I just a terrible fly fisherman? Should I sell all my equipment and give up the sport?

Why was I NOT successful? The answer is simple. I missed seeing the forest because I was concentrating on the trees. I didn't figure that out until I went for a walk and cleared my head. I simply missed the "retreat" part of our Fishing Retreat. I missed the otter that Bill Brady spotted just down river from us. I missed the icicles sprouting from a rock wall that Dan Cone pointed out. I missed the litter along the stream that both Dan and Bill picked up. I missed saying "Good Morning" or "Good Afternoon" to a lot of people I passed. I was worried about the technical part of fly fishing: the right fly, the right casting technique, the right tippet, the right size split shot, etc. It was me against the fish! Or so I thought.

So, why do I consider this a successful trip? It was successful because I learned something. I learned that success is not dependent on the size of fish caught, the number of fish caught or who caught the most fish. I learned I need to put "retreat" back into Fishing Retreat. The success of this trip, at least from my view, was being with two men who understand the fragile environment in which we live. I learned that we should appreciate the beauty of God's creation and the importance of service to others. We didn't necessarily talk about these things, but Bill and Dan's actions spoke volumes. Of course both Bill and Dan are former scoutmasters and have spent lots of time in the outdoors teaching young men to respect the environment. I can honestly say that the best time I had this weekend was not when I was casting my fly rod, but the times we spent talking at the cabin, watching the river flow, or walking along the stream.

In a fast paced world of email, voicemail, text messaging, etc. we miss the importance of building relationships and a sense of community. We often take our competitive business environment to places that it shouldn't be. We think we're in control and don't realize that there is a creator that needs us to be humbled and in awe of this world he has provided.

I grew up fishing and hunting in an area where there were no fences. I never worried about how many fish I caught or bringing home squirrels or rabbits. I just enjoyed being outdoors. Years of living in suburban cities like Plano have numbed my human senses. Being a part of small groups at CUMC with people like Dan Cone and Bill Brady help me stay grounded.

I hope you can attend the next CUMC Men's Fishing Retreat.

Tight Lines,

Greg Ellis