There was a missed call, but I didn’t recognize the number. I really didn’t think anything of it as they didn’t leave a voicemail. The same number appeared a few minutes later. I picked up this time, expecting a used car salesman. It was a nice lady from Lycoming Valley Intermediate. I totally panicked. What did Jensen do now?

The good folks at LVIS needed a solid. They were looking for some presenters for their Educational Experience Showcase. WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN SPEAKING TO OUR STUDENTS? Absolutely. I accepted immediately. I didn’t even hear their proposal. GREAT. WE WILL GET BACK TO YOU WITH THE DETAILS. THANK YOU, MR. SPENCER.

OK. So, I agreed to do a 30-minute ZOOM presentation. My audience was a fairly large group of sixth graders. I was so looking forward to this opportunity. This could be my big moment. But then the question dawned. Why in the world would they reach out to Jamie Spencer? That came from my lovely bride. I could chat about creative writing and working with the WEBB WEEKLY. Perhaps they want me to talk about coaching basketball or playing bad golf. I highly doubt these boys and girls will find installing granite countertops entertaining. Maybe I should have asked a few questions. What was I presenting? I called back shortly. WE WERE HOPING YOU COULD DO A PRESENTATION ON FISHING. Say what?

I spent the next few moments looking through my countless hours of footage. I was totally on it. This was my new little project. Now I would much rather do this presentation in person. But COVID-19 made it an online experience. My thoughts were an INTRO TO FISHING IN LYCOMING COUNTY. I asked my 12-year-old son for his blessing. He was a tad nervous and kindly asked me not to mention his name. Dude?

I started off by introducing myself and what I hoped to accomplish. I quickly reminded the kids that I was NOT an expert. I am just a guy who loves to fish, and I am out on the water an awful lot. I downloaded some music and threw in some fancy emojis. I added some of my favorite photos and clips from the Lycoming Creek Chronicles. I was definitely onto something.

The first few slides were the different rod and reel combos. I stuck with the basics. You know. Fly rods, spinning outfits, and the push button ZEBCOS. Thankfully I didn’t have to rely on my iPhone selfies. This guy finally figured out how to do a voiceover. Next were some of my favorite lures, flies, and bait. I talked about each category for a good three minutes. Then I moved on to some of my hot spots in Lycoming County. Again. I can’t tell you how blessed we are to live here, kids. Lycoming gives us a number of great fishing opportunities to target all types of species. Most of the waters I fish are in the backyard. I shared a few stories about the Susquehanna and Rose Valley. The girls almost cried when I introduced Lycoming Creek.

I saved the best for last as I introduced the kids to the many different kinds. I focused most of my attention on trout and smallmouth bass. My footage of these types is quite impressive. Especially since they were all harvested here in the backyard. Of course- I took this opportunity to show them my unbelievable encounter with a musky. My presentation was a total of 26 minutes. I am not going to lie. I had so much fun with this project. Hopefully, the 6th graders from Lycoming Valley Intermediate enjoyed it as well. Tight lines, kids. I only wish I created one spark. Fishing is the best. Thanks for the memories. Cheers.