For an early birthday gift to myself, I recently treated myself to a half-day wading trip with Speckled Trout. I’d visited Blowing Rock and the shop a few times but wanted help getting back into the sport and also to learn more about the local waters. It was money and time incredibly well spent. Coleman met me at the shop before sun-up and we drove a half-hour or 40 minutes to a remarkable stretch of water. Coleman was the consummate guide, in the true sense of the word. He was professional, instructional, diligent, patient, supportive, conversational, and interested. And, he was knowledgeable about every wrinkle of the river and the art of fly fishing it as I could have hoped for. I’ll do it again, no doubt.