A Reel Job

From the author Ryan Johnston: The river is full of surprises. There are certain things I can anticipate on any given day—the flow, the tides, the weather—but each day spent guiding is a fresh story waiting to be written. Some days are normal and uneventful short stories, some are long-winded novels of struggle and victory, and others are biographies of the people I encounter. In my opinion, the true story of our lives is told through the day-to-day. We tend to focus on the large, life-changing events—and, yes, those tend to be exciting and oftentimes insightful—but true life is what happens from one day to the next as we wander down our life’s path. The decisions we make, the things we see, the people we love, the religion we believe in, and the work we do are the things that define us. As we look back through our careers, we all recall moments in the workplace that made us laugh, made us angry, brought sadness, and created feelings of joy. Through the writing of this book, I’ve been able to reflect on the countless river stories that I have experienced. Stories of big fish caught, bigger fish lost, memorable clients, threats from wildlife encountered on the river, and just plain old funny situations shared with complete strangers. These stories that you are about to read are but a taste of the sights and sounds that the river has provided my clients and me over the last 20 years. So go grab a cold drink and find a comfy chair. My hope is that you’ll enjoy reading these tales as much as I’ve enjoyed living them.