When your family owns a fishing lodge on Alaska’s Dean River, chances are you’re going to grow up fishing. Oly Hickman is no exception. He’s tying his own flies, prowling the banks with his dad, casting, catching, and reeling in hogs. When he isn’t on the river, you’ll probably find him chasing frogs, digging up worms, and generally being a curious outdoor kid.
Fishermen travel from all around Alaska and North America to come cast flies on the fabled Dean River, where Oly’s family owns their lodge. Oly’s dad, Jeff, is a guide with over a decade of experience. He knows the waters, shores, eddies, and rapids of his section on the Dean better than anyone, and takes his clients to spots where he knows they’ll catch steelhead salmon. When he isn’t doing it for business, he and the family go out and fish just for fun.
Clearly, the apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree.
The Patagonia film Oly’s Dean profiles the Hickman family (spotlighting Oly) and highlights their family’s lodge and history on the river.
Runtime: 19:43 minutes
Read the full article here