I started thinking about a Steelhead trip for my 12 year old son and I in early January so I started googling charters near me. the list popped up and “Locked with Lorensen” was a perfect 5.0. I read every single review (73 of them) and some common themes were “patient with beginners, passionate about fishing, knowledgeable, and professional” The one that stood out to me was that he is great with kids.
From the time we got on the boat it was time to learn. He doesn’t treat kids like kids… but as young anglers. He was very concise with his instructions and Evan was off and running within 3 casts. Captain Ryan kept him so interested that he never once got bored, never complained, or asked when the trip was gonna be over, he just fished til his hands cramped up. He would take a couple mins to stretch em back out eat some beef jerky and was right back at it. of the 8 hours and change we were on the river he maybe missed 40 mins of fishing which is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Hats off to Captain Ryan cuz I really doubted my son’s fortitude in the beginning.
We were able to get a few bites and I was able to hook up for about 10 seconds before it spit the hook. No matter what happened he never gave us a chance to get ourselves disappointed about the missed opportunity just kept telling us that its all about the next cast. And that made the experience that much more enjoyable.
The weather was gorgeous, the water looked good and our spirits were high but unfortunately it was nobody’s day on the river as we ran into several other guides and all said that the fish just wasn’t feeling fishy. He was able to put me onto a large sucker fish and that brought a tremendous amount of levity and filled the boat with laughter.
My son and I now have a core memory and a tradition to follow that is just for him and I and that’s what matters to me. We are already looking into a trip in the fall if there is availability. ( just got home from our trip an hour ago and wanted to do a review before I look). As cliché as it might sound, this trip wasn’t about the fish as much as it was finding something new that my son and I can learn together, bond over, and ultimately teach and pass down to his own kids.
I started thinking about a Steelhead trip for my 12 year old son and I in early January so I started googling charters near...
Thank you for chosing me for your first steelhead adventure. It was really alot of fun fishing with you both. Your dad also had me cracking up the whole time which was an added bonus. I can’t wait to have you guys out again.