Sharing Resources
“This is not your Dad’s fly shop,” David Stelling laughed as we sat down to talk fly-fishing and outdoor recreation. Located in the heart of downtown Boone, David owns and runs the fly and bottle shop High Country Guide Service.
“The whole reason that I have a bottle shop attached to my fly shop is because of accessibility,” said David. “I am attempting to and trying to bring into the fold a person who would not necessarily walk into a fly shop.” The shop has been a physical entity since November of 2018, but was long before in operation with Stelling running it out of his basement.
When David was in high school in Greenville, South Carolina, teachers urged him to apply to Appalachian State University because he was so passionate about outdoor recreation. With their advice, he attended the university and has been here ever since, apart from his summers. “I haven’t spent a summer in Boone since 2004,” he explained. “Although I’ve lived here full time since 2000.”
And just where does he go when the tourists come to play in the High Country? Over 3,000 miles away, to southwestern Alaska. David was offered a job as a charter boat captain for Beyond Boundaries Expeditions, where he leads wilderness float trips down the Kanektok River. “There’s basically only twelve humans on Earth that are doing what we do out there,” explained David. These charter boat guides take their passengers down a 100-mile float enveloped by a six million acre wilderness area.
From his summer experiences in the last frontier, Stelling carries some perspective home. “Something I try to impart in all of my guides is to not get carried away with just the fish and the net,” he said. “There’s a much bigger picture than just going out and catching some fish. We are sharing a resource with somebody, and communicating to people that it is a very precious resource.”
We discussed the charge that the people of Boone have – both tourists and local residents – to protect and respect the rivers we utilize. “We have to really show our guests and patrons that it’s valuable and deserves to be protected by the Riverkeeper and Mountaintrue.”
While the summer may be wrapping up with vacations coming to an end, it is still a responsibility of the people in the High Country to realize just what kind of impact is on the ecosystem around us. #Boonies may be soon retiring their aquatic activities for the season, but we can always protect the water and the land we so often use.