By Mark Gangi
Guest Contributor

I brought my friends, Bob and Michelle, to the L.A. River for a casting lesson one day before they left on a trip to Montana and the Madison River. They were blown away by the river, as most are when the visit it for the first time.

I wasn’t expecting to catch any fish, as the moss was high and water, low.

When Michelle got the hang of casting and mending, I was showing her how to work a pool by taking a few steps upstream and — wham — a beautiful little bass smacked the crayfish pattern I had tied on.

So, her first fish on a fly rod was on the L.A. River.

“I can see how this could be addicting” was her comment between smiles.