This meeting may be seen via the ZOOM app. There are no meetings at the Sports Basement. More info to come.
Jason Hatcher (what an appropriate name for a fly fishing guide!) will be speaking to us about a rarely visited and rarely fished portion of the lower Sacramento River, south of the portions of the river served by the guides from the Fly Shop in Redding and just north of Red Bluff.
“The glory is in the pursuit”
“This is not about the money, it’s never been about the money.” There are so many days, I say to myself “I’d do this for free”. I want to be on the water or in the woods ALL the time, and guiding is a great way to afford that particular vice (I often joke that I take people fishing so I have money to go hunting). I truly enjoy sharing the experiences to be had on the water with others. I’m not here to run a ‘cattle car’ mixing groups and filling boats to maximize profits. There’s nothing wrong with making a buck, however, I don’t do this for the paycheck, and I prefer YOUR group to have our undivided attention and make the trip YOUR group’s adventure. Be assured, I will work hard on your fishing day to help you catch fish. I will do the behind the scenes prep work to make sure you will be in a great spot, with all the right gear and ready to go! I have found it so rewarding to see clients come back again and again, and see their skills progress to the point that all I have to do is operate the boat. They know the program! It’s like going out fishing with a group of my good buddies, which is a heckuva great way to make a buck.
My personal goal is for a trip with River Pursuit Guide Service, to leave our guests realizing there is more to a river fishing trip than posting great C&R numbers (which we do). There is learning, there is observation, there is camaraderie amongst friends or family time, there is the acquisition and honing of skills, among many other elements that contribute to the experience as a whole. The outing in it’s totality should leave one considering “the glory is in the pursuit.”Jason Thatcher
Jason has been a licensed fishing guide since 2002 and is an avid and passionate outdoorsman. He is a coast guard license 6 pack captain, licensed, bonded, insured, and fully permitted for his operating areas. Besides guiding full-time, Jason also runs a non-profit called Blue Line Outdoors which provides free outdoor activities such as fishing and hunting trips for police officers in the aftermath of critical incidents.
Regions Jason has guided include the Bristol Bay region of Alaska and the Trinity, American, Feather and Sacramento Rivers of Northern, CA. He believes in the “local guide, local knowledge” ideal which means he is intimately familiar with the local fishes life-cycle, habits, habitat, defining traits, and proven, as well as, experimental methods of take. He has the skills, tools, and knowledge to put anglers in the best possible situation for having a successful, comfortable, safe, and entertaining river fishing adventure. Jason is married to his wife Holly and they have a daughter, Claire. They make their home on the banks of the Sacramento River north of Red Bluff with Jason guiding full-time and Holly working as a registered nurse. Holly regularly out-fishes Jason, which they are both OK with.
