Yesterday a student asked me to supervise her honors project. She has learned fly-fishing and wants to help people who might not otherwise have access to the outdoors and clean water learn fly-fishing as well.

She came to me because I am Director of Environmental Studies at our uni.

But she did not know that I was a fly-fishing guide in grad school in New Mexico, that I have written a book about brook trout, fly-fishing, and ecology, and that I teach courses about salmonids in Alaska.

Her face looked like she had just stumbled on a hidden treasure.

I gave her a copy of my book and agreed to advise her project.

A brook trout is swimming near the rocky bottom of a clear, shallow body of water. The photo is taken underwater, and the reflection of the bottom of the rocky stream is visible on the surface of the water. Photo was taken by me (David L. O’Hara) in Goshen, Vermont, August 2023)