On a small Minnesota stream, an eight-year-old boy made a slight cast up and into the current. From the bank, his father watched with patience… gently instructing as he thoughtfully documented the moment on his phone.

The small caddis fly pattern bobbed in the waves, eventually floating directly in front of them both, and, as if on cue for the camera, a tiny brown, from somewhere deep in the run, rose for and ate it.

Neither father nor son could contain their excitement.

Scot Simmons reminded his son, Cooper, to keep the line tight. Cooper did everything just right. He landed the fish. And both father and son soon admire a trout this young man landed on a dry fly… all by himself.

“That moment on the creek filled my soul in a way that completely overwhelmed me,” said Scot Simmons, some weeks later, as he recollected that moment.

A video of all this has been shared thousands of times across the Instagram platform. The outpouring of positivity, support, and direct messages that spawned only strengthened the elder Simmons’ bond with the greater fly-fishing community.

Scot Simmons has dealt with various forms of anxiety, PTSD, and depression for most of his adult life. He admits he hasn’t always made the best choices in life. More recently, considering the tragic murder of George Floyd in his hometown of Minneapolis, Simmons has wondered if “that could have been me.”

He is committed to creating a better life for himself and others and strives to be a better role model for his family. Fly fishing has helped him find this equilibrium.

Learn more and support the Twin Cities Chapter youth education program HERE.