The Grill | Jeremiah Houle | Stonefly Sales
The Grill | Jeremiah Houle | Stonefly Sales
At 17 years old, I was still in high school and working any job I could to be able to afford gas and gear for my already burning fly-fishing passion. I started at The Fly Shop in Redding, California, and was greener than green, just trying to digest the flood of information that came flowing in each shift. I didn’t know it then, but my “local” shop was an absolute powerhouse of anglers, tyers and fly casters. Any fly-fishing related question I had was answered. Somehow, I stumbled into the beginnings of a passion filled career in 2006 that I am thankful for every day.
I was born in Bigfoot country. The State of Jefferson, Dunsmuir, California. Our house backed up to the Upper Scremento River and that was my playground. Northern California has an unbelievable variety of year-round fishing opportunities from blue ribbon trout streams and steelhead rivers to bass lakes and the striped bass of the California Delta. This area has spawned some of fly fishing’s greats. Fly tyers like Tim Fox, Hogan Brown, Mike Mercer, and Bob Quigley. Fly Casters like Steve Rajeff, Maxine McCormick, the Revel Brothers and, I hate to say it, but 2-time Sales Meeting Fly Casting Champion, Darin Elmore.
The thoughts of “what is in the water?” and “can I catch it?” were a constant repeat in my head as a kid and have never gone away. A move 45 minutes south on I-5 landed our family in Redding, with the big-fish-factory Lower Sacramento River a short bike ride away and endless creeks and golf course ponds even closer. In middle school I checked out the book “Flies in the Water, Fish in the Air” by Jim Arnosky from our school library four times in a row. After I tried to check the book out for the 5th time, the librarian said “Honey, you’re the only kid to check this out in 12 years, you should keep it.” And it is still in my bookcase to this day.
I was the only kid with a rod tube strapped to my backpack as a freshman riding my bike to school. When a trip on the Trinity River for steelhead presented itself during football season, I kindly asked the coach if I could skip the Saturday morning meeting that went over our Friday night game to go on this trip. The coach’s brief answer of “No meeting, no football” was another fork in the road that had me hand over my helmet and pick up my trusty 9 ½ foot 7 weight.
From the age of 16, I was fishing over 200 days a year. Sure, some of those were an after-dinner caddis hatch session, but it was crucial time on the water for me. Was that a rise? Wait, I only saw a dorsal. Why is my elk hair caddis doing the trick? Emerger? What the heck is an emerger?? As my knowledge and passion continued to grow, the knowledge more slowly than the passion, I set my eyes north.Up Highway 97 to the high desert of Oregon. The land of sagebrush, junipers, steelhead, Redsides and enough microbreweries in town to help with even the worst of fishing days. In 2011 I made the move to Bend and dove off the deep end into this industry. I guided, managed an Orvis company store, helped open a fly shop, managed an outfitter with 12 full-time guides, did the consumer show tour, and a few other things I am sure I left out.
Some of my favorite questions while guiding were, So does the river go in a circle back to the truck?” and “When do you start rowing back?” Not so favorite preseason memory as a shop manager, “It’s due October 1? I thought you said November 1!” At each consumer show most every person seemed to say, “My grandpa, dad, uncle, cousin, etc., used to fly fish.”
This deep immersion into the behind-the-counter side of fly fishing deepened my connection and helped mold me into the Sales Representative I am today. When the position opened up for a Sales Rep role with two of the brands I respected so much, I jumped on the opportunity. In 2019, 13 years after clocking into my first job as a shop rat, I was hired and have been loving the role ever since.
So, I get it and feel your pain; too much to do and too little time. I was in the trenches just like you, going through ungodly amounts of tippet and staring at Excel spreadsheets until cross eyed. Well, I actually still do that last one. This industry has some of the best people I have ever met. It is tight-knit, passionate, hilarious, and mostly easy going. That might be my favorite part of this job. The least favorite part? Gas stations. Man, do I hate gas stations. If you have podcast recommendations, please let me know!
