Abe's Motel & Fly Shop

I found this envelope, hidden, in back of my desk drawer this week. It had inside a fishing license that I purchased at Abe's back in 2009. Finding it brought back some good memories of that trip with my good buddy, Brad. I've had a lot of fun fishing trips, at the Juan, with several good friends and my brother through the years.

For sure, I do miss staying at Abe's while fishing the San Juan River. It just isn't as much fun fishing the Juan now that Abe's is no longer in business. Since they closed about three years ago, I have only been to the river for fishing a couple of times.

In years past, when I arrived at Abe's, the first thing after check-in was to go to the fly bins and pick out the "hot fly" for the day. Of course, the staff in the shop would always help you select the flies that were getting all the action. Yes, I did bring flies that I tied leading up to the trip, but picking up a few at the fly shop was good for productive conversations and tips on the best flies, and locations where the trout had been most active. Then it was time to pick up a few supplies in the store and go to the room to rig up a fly rod for fishing the rest of the day.

I guess it wasn't only about the fishing (as the reason) that I went so often each year, after all. It was as much about the motel, fly shop, and dining with friends in the restaurant. After a day of fishing, it wasn't uncommon for us guys to sit on a bench outside our rooms with a cold beer and talk about the trout we caught...and, those trout that got away. We would then go to our rooms to clean up and meet later at the restaurant...to talk more about the fish we caught that day. It was so much fun! Sometimes, before the sun would go down, I would walk over to the river for a few more casts in hopes of a hook set and tight line fun.

Seems the older I get, the more I hate change. And, no longer having this annual ritual of staying at Abe's and fishing the Juan with family and friends, well...I miss it!!!!

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