Nothing Can Stop Her

“Hold your breath. If you can’t breathe, they can’t breathe.” Taylor thinks of this statement that her friend told her the very first time she caught a trout, which just so happened to be her PB brown so far. Her story doesn’t start there though.

Taylor is extreme, just like the 14 extreme sports she enjoys doing. Just while having a video chat on Instagram to get her story she exudes positive energy despite what she has endured the past few years. This epic chick has been a professional downhill skier for 10 years in Colorado. She was a ski instructor as well as a mountain bike guide in the summer. She has that “nothing can stop me” attitude that is a catalyst for greatness in her life. Like most of us, that had to come through some dark times and picking herself up through each one of them.

“Taylor, being the hero in her own story did not let this stop her from finding her passion, that “thing” she was looking for in life.“

Rough Times

Over two years ago Taylor was in an abusive relationship that she endured for over a year. During this relationship she was hospitalized 3 times because she (like most of us females in those situations) believed the guy every time he apologized. The last apology came with a fly rod. She was fed up and dumped the dude, but kept the rod. Great choice in my opinion.

Having been through the rough relationship, she decided she needed to move on and try again. This time she thought match.com was a good option. I mean why not? Those profiles are a decent preview of what the person is like, right? After dating the guy for a month, they decided things were going great, so why not move in together? Two weeks later he beat her so badly she had to be hospitalized for 4 days. Taylor, being the hero in her own story did not let this stop her from finding her passion, that “thing” she was looking for in life.

The Start

Matt and Taylor spent 7 hours on the Eagle and she wasn’t having any luck... in fact working hard to earn a solid skunk. She was learning to tie on flies though due to Matt (being 50) having shaky hands decided to teach her how to do so, and she tied them from there on out.  As fate would have it, she caught a trout, but couldn’t get the hang of the hook set. Then again! Annnnd again! She wasn’t going to give up and go home (as you know, that just isn’t Taylor) She FINALLY set the hook, now... how the heck to land this fish that was violently shaking its while shooting up stream. Her heart was racing as she was struggling to keep the line tight and not over play the trout. She stumbled and fell into the water, then filling her waders as she did so. She gasped, but with joy while keeping her rod up she continued the fight, finally scooping her gorgeous brown into the net. Matt quickly and gruffly said “DON’T put your hands in their gills, NO gloves, HOLD YOUR BREATH, if you can’t breathe, they can’t breathe. 30 seconds out of the water before the trout has brain damage and keep your hands wet”!!! She was shocked at the quick and stern instructions but followed them and still recites them in her hand every time she lands a trout.

“Since that day she lives and breathes fly fishing. “

Seems she is hooked and has found that “thing” she has been looking for all these years! Taylor has also found love, which is better than she could have imagined because he is a fly guide and a hunting guide. She has soaked up so much knowledge and plans on buying a fly shop and guiding one day so she may teach others what she loves so much. We wish her all the happiness and luck in her future endeavors and can’t wait to watch her grow.

Please comment below what got you hooked on fly fishing.

Tight lines and good vibes, y’all!

~Rebecca