I had the pleasure last night of catching up with my friend Naoto Aoki and his girlfriend Julie O’Brien in Banff, Alberta. Naoto is the kind of guy that I seldom speak with as he is usually out fly fishing and/or hunting but I always welcome seeing because he is one of the nicest people you would want to meet. Quick with a laugh and humble about his significant angling and guiding skills, Naoto is a passionate fly fisher and as hard-core as they come. All in all, he’s the kind of guy many envy because he is living his life on his own terms – and having one hell of a time doing it.
We grabbed a pint at St. Jame’s Gate on Wolf Street in downtown Banff last night and got caught up on life, the universe and everything and Naoto was sharing some guiding stories that had us all laughing. The nice part about Naoto and other guides like him is that they don’t poke fun at clients but rather at situations – usually involving himself. This kind of selfless sense of humour is what attracts people to him and makes him a great guide because it is never about ‘him’ but always about the sport. They couldn’t stay long as he was anticipating a call confirming that he would have to pick up a client at 5:30 which necessitated waking up at 4 am so it was an early night but it was great seeing them – and I look forward to following his words of advice about fly fishing in and around Banff in the coming days…
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