Drift boats are one of the best things about fly fishing. Sure, wade anglers catch their fair share of fish, but those lucky guys floating downstream in their drift boats, sneaking one cast after another under overhanging tree limbs and behind midstream boulders, are having more fun than the proverbial kid in the candy store.

I have my eye on a bend in Jackknife Creek. I know it holds fish. It has to. It’s perfectly sculpted to host a hotel for fish with a deep pool to swim in and overhanging willows for shaded cover. I position myself on the bank across from the bend. I hand my rod to my son. He hands it back. He wants me to cast first so he can watch what happens. My husband is watching too. We’re pretty competitive and we both like to be right so we’ll place bets on just about anything. We have a bet running on this water. If fish are in here, I win.