My buddy Eric sends me all kinds of emails about fly fishing.

I look at them all at the end of my "work my ass off" day. They make me happy.

One from Flymen Fishing Co. had a cool new synthetic deer hair called Fish-Skull Faux Bucktail with great colors and a contest where you could vote on your favorite fly tied with it.

Finalists from the #FauxBucktailThrowdown2017 fly tying contest. Check out all the entrants here.

CLICK – my vote was cast.

A week later I got an email from Flymen Fishing Co. saying I had won the random drawing for a free guided fly fishing trip.

Yea, right. I deleted the email thinking it was a scam.

Then the second email came in with a phone number and a real person to talk to.

Enter Caleb. He said the contest was a real promotion and that they had a Flymen Guide Program with excellent fly fishing guides all over the world.

All I needed to do was select one of the guides and Flymen Fishing Co. and Fly Tyer Magazine would take care of the trip.

I thought, "no way, this can't be real – this is to good to be true."

So with my best efforts to uncover the scam, I called my friend and Master Fly Casting Instructor David Hulsey (who is on the Flymen Guide Program) at Noontootla Creek Farms trophy trout stream in Northern Georgia. 

If it was for real, it could be the best day of my life.

Dave Hulsey, fly fishing guide.

IT WAS REAL. Caleb confirmed with David that Flymen Fishing Co. and Fly Tyer Magazine would cover the guide and rod fee for the day.

Holy s---!

Click here to enter for a chance to win a Fishpond Sushi Roll streamer holder filled with a dozen Double Barrel Bass Bugs!

So I called Eric, who was the one who forwarded me the contest from Flymen in the first place, and told him about all of this. They even covered Eric's rod fee.

If you are a fly fisherman and a person that enjoys the outdoors, you know I cannot explain the fresh air, lush green mountains, and cold clear water to the extent it deserves.

So let me say it was everything I hoped for and more.

We caught plenty of fish, watched a master coach us on a section of stream, and really enjoyed the companionship.

There was one moment that I will never forget as I eased down a steep bank in through the rhododendrons in to a tunnel of them over the water, so thick it was dark.

At the end of the tunnel the water dropped from 3 feet to 10 feet, and from rock to sand. There was a break in the trees so the sun lit up the sandy hole.

It took a unique cast to get it to that pool, but when my fly hit, a monster rainbow came up from the bottom.

The story of the fight could go on and on if I told you about it going upstream around a corner on me, but I will let you imagine that and just show you a picture.

Why is it when I catch a big fish no one is ever around? Hence the one-hand hold shot.

Flymen Fishing Company, THANK YOU SO MUCH!

You guys are truly men of your word.

By the way, I'm really enjoying the video on how to tie with the new Surface Seducer Howitzer baitfish popper head. Glad I ordered them, bass are all over it.

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About Rene Hesse:

Rene Hesse is a Certified Fly Casting Instructor for Fly Fishers International. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia, where he's the organizer for the Atlanta Fly Fishing and Camping Meetup Group (800 + members) and Fly Fishing Demonstrator for the Atlanta Boat Show. An active member of Trout Unlimited, he speaks and presents on behalf of the conservation organization as well as being as a Goodwill Guides board member, treasurer, and mentor.