Jim Hickey '89: The Evolution of a Fisherman
JACKSON, WY – Dusk was fast approaching this Tuesday in late January, and a light fog drifted just above the peaks of the mountains which rise majestically from the nearby, sagebrush-laden plains where elk, pronghorn antelope, and moose roam freely.
The winter’s accumulation of snow covered the frozen ground, and ice made walking and driving an adventure for a traveler from back east unaccustomed to the slippery conditions.
Showers of white had dusted the area earlier in the day, but late this afternoon, the temperature hovered just above freezing, a veritable heat wave in this town of 8,500 nestled in the shadow of the Tetons near the northwest corner of Jim Hickey’s adopted state.
A 1989 Collegiate alumnus, Hickey is loving life.
You see, he’s pursuing his passion, truly living his dream as a fly-fishing guide and partner in WorldCast Anglers, which operates from an office in the Orvis Store a short hop from the eclectic array of shops and restaurants along the quintessentially western plank sidewalks of Town Square.
And best of all, he has Jenny, his wife of 12 years, their 4-year-old son Cal, and a 14-year old beagle named JR with him to share the ride.
“I always say that Jackson for a fly-fishing guide is Hollywood for an actor,” said Hickey. “It’s where it all happens.
“The landscape and wildlife are awe-inspiring. It’s easy to be enthusiastic about every day when you’re surrounded by that kind of scenery and this kind of place.”
The winter’s accumulation of snow covered the frozen ground, and ice made walking and driving an adventure for a traveler from back east unaccustomed to the slippery conditions.
Showers of white had dusted the area earlier in the day, but late this afternoon, the temperature hovered just above freezing, a veritable heat wave in this town of 8,500 nestled in the shadow of the Tetons near the northwest corner of Jim Hickey’s adopted state.
A 1989 Collegiate alumnus, Hickey is loving life.
You see, he’s pursuing his passion, truly living his dream as a fly-fishing guide and partner in WorldCast Anglers, which operates from an office in the Orvis Store a short hop from the eclectic array of shops and restaurants along the quintessentially western plank sidewalks of Town Square.
And best of all, he has Jenny, his wife of 12 years, their 4-year-old son Cal, and a 14-year old beagle named JR with him to share the ride.
“I always say that Jackson for a fly-fishing guide is Hollywood for an actor,” said Hickey. “It’s where it all happens.
“The landscape and wildlife are awe-inspiring. It’s easy to be enthusiastic about every day when you’re surrounded by that kind of scenery and this kind of place.”
On this overcast day, Hickey relaxed in his office with a long-time friend and fielded questions about the journey which has brought him incredible fulfillment.
Where did your interest in hunting and fishing begin?
It began early. I can’t remember not fishing. I remember hunting at least by about 8 with Dad and with our family. Hunting and fishing were always right there in the fabric of our family.
When did you know you wanted to pursue this career path?
Honestly, I probably had those thoughts and dreams as far back as elementary school. I wondered, is there somebody out there in the world that actually gets paid to hunt and fish? If there is, I want to be that guy.
Then I put them aside and got to the business of academia and looking at traditional careers. Then, when I was out of Hampden-Sydney and wearing a suit and tie every day, I realized it really wasn’t me and that I had to make a change. I actually still own several suits, but they don’t come out of the closet very often.
What lessons did you learn on your first venture out west that resonate today?
I was fortunate to work for a great outfitter, a great guy, Jim Allen, and he taught me a lot. That was probably the most formative part of my education in hunting and fishing.
He told me that the biggest part of being a guide was managing expectations. You have people come in, and they want to hunt a trophy bull elk, catch a trophy trout. He taught me to underpromise and overdeliver and if things weren’t going well, always have something up my sleeve.
He mainly taught me that it’s not necessarily a hunting and fishing business. It’s a people business first.
How have you taken what you learned from this mentor to where you are now?
I try to stay true to that philosophy. If you treat people on these trips well and do the very best job you can for them, they’ll appreciate it, they’ll come back, their friends will come back, and pretty soon you’ll have a nice little business.
What’s involved when you lead a fly-fishing expedition?
Most of the trips in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana are day-trips. A group might come and do five or six day-trips, so they’re here for a week or so. A trip may start at 7 or 8 in the morning and run ‘til it’s time to come home because it’s too dark.
The guide’s job is to make sure folks are having a good time and are safe. You’re also showing them a different part of the world, a different ecosystem, a different river, a different fish, a different experience than they normally see. You’re helping them get better or do something different as a fisherman. Some folks just enjoy being on the water, and catching fish is sort of a by-product.
When you start out, you get more rookies, never-evers, because you’re also that person. You’re learning as you go. The more you do it and have people come back and fish with you year after year, you get better, they get better, and you tend to have more experienced anglers.
As a company, we probably have 40 percent that have some fishing experience, 20 percent that have no experience, 20 percent who have quite a bit of experience, and a little bit of somewhere in between.
What do you enjoy about guiding? What sends you back to the river time and time again?
I love the fact that in fly fishing and guiding fly-fishing anglers, there’s no ceiling. There’s never a point where you’ve got it all figured out. There’s always something to learn. I don’t want to ever think that I’ve got it all figured out.
And I like the process. First off, I like dealing with the people. Sounds trite, but at the same time, if you don’t, you’re in the wrong business. I always equate it to the difference between enjoying eating and enjoying cooking. Everybody likes to eat, but there’re not as many people who truly like to cook.
A lot of people like to fish. Guiding fishermen is a completely different animal.
I like watching people have these little breakthrough moments whether it’s because they’ve just learned something new, they’ve caught a fish that’s a great fish for them, or they’ve just finally relaxed and forgotten about what they were worrying about when they first got on the water.
Sounds like you you’re also in the business of helping people relieve stress.
Exactly. You literally watch them decompress before your eyes. They come in, and they’re checking their Blackberry. By the end of the trip, they can’t remember what day it is they’re so absorbed in fishing.
Are your clients catching fish and tossing them back or taking them home and mounting them or frying them for dinner?
We do 100% catch and release. We catch ‘em, take a picture for posterity, and then put ‘em back. Nowadays, you can get as good a replication for your wall that holds up better than a skin-mount. Secondly, thankfully, the folks we guide really aren’t that hungry. They’re better off getting their fish from the grocery story anyway. That way, we can come back and catch those fish again.
Is there any one moment in your career that stands out, either for the element of danger or for that eureka moment when you or some fisherman made the catch of a lifetime?
I think maybe the moment that I looked back and realized that I was really a fly-fishing guide. I don’t remember a single moment that it happened, but it was whenever that reflection took place, that was special, because I was doing what I dreamed about doing.
How much fishing and hunting are you able to do on your own?
I spend as much time as I can with Jenny and Cal. Other than that, hunting and fishing are kind of what I do. Some might say I spend an inordinate amount of time fishing and less so hunting. I fish a ton and hunt a fair amount.
Once Jenny and I got married and after Cal was born, I decided not to guide the hunting trips anymore. It’s more time away from home which I didn’t really want.
What’s the biggest fish you every caught personally?
I imagine it was a salt water fish. Gosh, it might be something I caught when I was just a little kid, a 20-25 pound bluefish, a bonito, a mahi-mahi. The biggest trout I every caught was in Patagonia, a 30-inch brown trout that had to weight over 10 pounds for sure.
But you know, they say there’re different evolutions of an angler. First, you want to catch a fish. Then you want to catch a lot of fish. Then you want to catch a big fish.
I think there might be something further, where you just enjoy the experience and each fish, for whatever reason, is noteworthy whether it’s the place you are, the specific species, the people you catch it with. Size doesn’t matter, maybe, so much. It’s more about the experience.
The passion in your voice when you talk about your life’s work comes through loud and clear.
Absolutely. It’s the passion for the sport and the outdoors. I’m truly blessed, being able to do what I really, really love for a living. That’s about as good as it gets.
Our time together was coming to an end, and we walked outside into the gathering twilight to take a photo to send back to Richmond to Jim’s parents, long-time Collegiate teachers Kaye and Jim Hickey, both now enjoying retirement.
I pointed toward a nearby mountain where skiers who appeared the size of ants were availing themselves of the last moments of daylight.
You’ve been out here a long time, I said. Does this scenery every get old?
“No,” Jim replied without hesitation. “Never.”
-- Weldon Bradshaw
(Please visit www.worldcastanglers.com.)
Back
Where did your interest in hunting and fishing begin?
It began early. I can’t remember not fishing. I remember hunting at least by about 8 with Dad and with our family. Hunting and fishing were always right there in the fabric of our family.
When did you know you wanted to pursue this career path?
Honestly, I probably had those thoughts and dreams as far back as elementary school. I wondered, is there somebody out there in the world that actually gets paid to hunt and fish? If there is, I want to be that guy.
Then I put them aside and got to the business of academia and looking at traditional careers. Then, when I was out of Hampden-Sydney and wearing a suit and tie every day, I realized it really wasn’t me and that I had to make a change. I actually still own several suits, but they don’t come out of the closet very often.
What lessons did you learn on your first venture out west that resonate today?
I was fortunate to work for a great outfitter, a great guy, Jim Allen, and he taught me a lot. That was probably the most formative part of my education in hunting and fishing.
He told me that the biggest part of being a guide was managing expectations. You have people come in, and they want to hunt a trophy bull elk, catch a trophy trout. He taught me to underpromise and overdeliver and if things weren’t going well, always have something up my sleeve.
He mainly taught me that it’s not necessarily a hunting and fishing business. It’s a people business first.
How have you taken what you learned from this mentor to where you are now?
I try to stay true to that philosophy. If you treat people on these trips well and do the very best job you can for them, they’ll appreciate it, they’ll come back, their friends will come back, and pretty soon you’ll have a nice little business.
What’s involved when you lead a fly-fishing expedition?
Most of the trips in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana are day-trips. A group might come and do five or six day-trips, so they’re here for a week or so. A trip may start at 7 or 8 in the morning and run ‘til it’s time to come home because it’s too dark.
The guide’s job is to make sure folks are having a good time and are safe. You’re also showing them a different part of the world, a different ecosystem, a different river, a different fish, a different experience than they normally see. You’re helping them get better or do something different as a fisherman. Some folks just enjoy being on the water, and catching fish is sort of a by-product.
When you start out, you get more rookies, never-evers, because you’re also that person. You’re learning as you go. The more you do it and have people come back and fish with you year after year, you get better, they get better, and you tend to have more experienced anglers.
As a company, we probably have 40 percent that have some fishing experience, 20 percent that have no experience, 20 percent who have quite a bit of experience, and a little bit of somewhere in between.
What do you enjoy about guiding? What sends you back to the river time and time again?
I love the fact that in fly fishing and guiding fly-fishing anglers, there’s no ceiling. There’s never a point where you’ve got it all figured out. There’s always something to learn. I don’t want to ever think that I’ve got it all figured out.
And I like the process. First off, I like dealing with the people. Sounds trite, but at the same time, if you don’t, you’re in the wrong business. I always equate it to the difference between enjoying eating and enjoying cooking. Everybody likes to eat, but there’re not as many people who truly like to cook.
A lot of people like to fish. Guiding fishermen is a completely different animal.
I like watching people have these little breakthrough moments whether it’s because they’ve just learned something new, they’ve caught a fish that’s a great fish for them, or they’ve just finally relaxed and forgotten about what they were worrying about when they first got on the water.
Sounds like you you’re also in the business of helping people relieve stress.
Exactly. You literally watch them decompress before your eyes. They come in, and they’re checking their Blackberry. By the end of the trip, they can’t remember what day it is they’re so absorbed in fishing.
Are your clients catching fish and tossing them back or taking them home and mounting them or frying them for dinner?
We do 100% catch and release. We catch ‘em, take a picture for posterity, and then put ‘em back. Nowadays, you can get as good a replication for your wall that holds up better than a skin-mount. Secondly, thankfully, the folks we guide really aren’t that hungry. They’re better off getting their fish from the grocery story anyway. That way, we can come back and catch those fish again.
Is there any one moment in your career that stands out, either for the element of danger or for that eureka moment when you or some fisherman made the catch of a lifetime?
I think maybe the moment that I looked back and realized that I was really a fly-fishing guide. I don’t remember a single moment that it happened, but it was whenever that reflection took place, that was special, because I was doing what I dreamed about doing.
How much fishing and hunting are you able to do on your own?
I spend as much time as I can with Jenny and Cal. Other than that, hunting and fishing are kind of what I do. Some might say I spend an inordinate amount of time fishing and less so hunting. I fish a ton and hunt a fair amount.
Once Jenny and I got married and after Cal was born, I decided not to guide the hunting trips anymore. It’s more time away from home which I didn’t really want.
What’s the biggest fish you every caught personally?
I imagine it was a salt water fish. Gosh, it might be something I caught when I was just a little kid, a 20-25 pound bluefish, a bonito, a mahi-mahi. The biggest trout I every caught was in Patagonia, a 30-inch brown trout that had to weight over 10 pounds for sure.
But you know, they say there’re different evolutions of an angler. First, you want to catch a fish. Then you want to catch a lot of fish. Then you want to catch a big fish.
I think there might be something further, where you just enjoy the experience and each fish, for whatever reason, is noteworthy whether it’s the place you are, the specific species, the people you catch it with. Size doesn’t matter, maybe, so much. It’s more about the experience.
The passion in your voice when you talk about your life’s work comes through loud and clear.
Absolutely. It’s the passion for the sport and the outdoors. I’m truly blessed, being able to do what I really, really love for a living. That’s about as good as it gets.
Our time together was coming to an end, and we walked outside into the gathering twilight to take a photo to send back to Richmond to Jim’s parents, long-time Collegiate teachers Kaye and Jim Hickey, both now enjoying retirement.
I pointed toward a nearby mountain where skiers who appeared the size of ants were availing themselves of the last moments of daylight.
You’ve been out here a long time, I said. Does this scenery every get old?
“No,” Jim replied without hesitation. “Never.”
-- Weldon Bradshaw
(Please visit www.worldcastanglers.com.)
Collegiate School | 103 N. Mooreland Road, Richmond, VA 23229 | P. 804.740.7077 | F. 804.741.9797 | webmaster@collegiate-va.org | Contact Us