Merrill Tode and her Dad, Keith, proudly display her first trout.
Photo by Keith Tode
At an age when most little girls are obsessing about Disney princesses, Merrill Tode, age 8, is more interested in fly fishing. Her fascination began when she was around two or three years of age—the fact that her father, Keith, is a fly fisherman could have something to do with that—and her room is decked out with trout posters.
Merrill has become a big fan of Orvis because of the way we regularly show women fishing. One of her goals is to appear in an Orvis catalog. Being featured in the Orvis Fishing blog could be a step in the right direction!
Although they live in Exeter, New Hampshire, Merrill and Keith often visit the Orvis Flagship store in Manchester, Vermont, where she spends her time watching the fish in the pond, checking out the flies, and grilling the salespeople on the latest and best gear. During a visit last August, she spent nearly an hour luring in a big brown trout with fish pellets, and then proceeded to rub its belly like a dog! She plans to be a fisheries biologist when she grows up, and it looks like she’s off to an excellent start.
Cute kid! Enormous hands, but still cute.
😛