In April I took a trip to Honduras to fly-fish the salt water for the first time with a group of my best friends from Colorado. I have not shared much about this trip, but it will forever be one of the most memorable weeks of my life. It was a beautiful tropical setting, offering exceptional food, cocktails, and hospitality. It was the perfect place to reconnect with friends I have known for at least 30 years. It was an exciting new adventure with a fly rod; sight fishing Bonefish, Permit and Tarpon for the first time. Most profoundly, it was the week that I lost my Dad.
As the trip approached my Dad was in the hospital recovering from a hip replacement surgery and being fitted with a pacemaker. Combined with other preexisting conditions, his health was not good. I wrestled with cancelling my trip to Honduras but with his encouragement, and the encouragement of the rest of my family, I still went on this long planned adventure. Everyone knew this was a special trip because of not only the fishing, but because of the group of friends whose schedules had aligned. As I departed the lodge two days early because of my Dad quickly declining health, I knew that my Dad truly wanted to be there with my group of “brothers.” Through his life my Dad valued friendships and adventures with those friends that strengthen those bonds.
There are his lifelong friends; Sandi, Galen, Pete and the DiMarco crew. These connections followed my Dad through his many stages of life. First, Sandi was with him growing up in Las Vegas. They both learned the tile trade from my Grandfather while having many teenage adventures around Las Vegas, including drag racing up and down Fremont Street before it became a real tourist destination. Next, with the urging of Pete and Galen, my Dad ventured to Alaska to work as a heavy equipment mechanic on the Alaskan Pipeline project. After coming back from Alaska the group ended up moving to Glenwood Springs, Colorado to open an equipment rental/mechanic shop. Even though that business ended up failing, Valley Rentals is where my Dad met my Mom. Later, my Dad’s childhood friend Sandi moved to Colorado and they ended up back in the tile and marble trade together. As I became old enough to work I was lucky to help them on many construction sites. There I learned the value of hard work, meanwhile, being constantly entertained by their endless banter and the stories of their youth. All these years of friendships were tied together by hunting, fishing and camping trips.
Living in Glenwood brought many strong friendships and brotherhoods for my Dad. First, there was Steve and Larry. They shared the love of the outdoors and fandom of the Denver Broncos. Steve and Larry were also a big part of fostering my Dads love of fly-fishing, and later helped introduce me to the sport. Of course there were the friends from my childhood neighborhood; Kevin, Dan, Robert and my Dad were a true brotherhood for many years. Not only were there many fishing and hunting adventures; but they also helped each other with home improvement projects, fixing and working on vehicles and definitely some rowdy block parties.
Throughout childhood my sister and I were always along for the ride. We would normally be invited to tag along with Dad and his friends on their many adventures, but we also enjoyed plenty of adventures as a family. I will always remember Dad taking Megan and I fishing on his precious days off. We would load up on donuts and chocolate milk at the gas station and would spend the morning sitting on the banks of the lake catching our limit so Dad could make his signature Saltine Cracker-breaded trout for dinner.
As I became an adult my Dad became my best friend. We shared countless fishing and hunting trips together. There was the hunting trip when we almost rolled my Bronco II as we began sliding backwards after turning onto a switchback that was covered in ice, barely regaining traction before sliding into the trees. There was also the day hunting when I opened a gate for us to drive through and, in my early morning haze, I closed the gate while being on the wrong side. He is still teasing me about that morning! We also had many memorable days on the river as my passion for fly-fishing grew. We both bought personal pontoon boats around the same time and started learning how to navigate our favorite rivers. We floated the Roaring Fork, Colorado and Green Rivers together. This is were I started learning the skill of rowing which would later turn into my career. Through these years my Dad and I not only shared our own and adventures, but he also began tagging along with me and my friends on many trips.
When I began thinking about moving to Montana, my Dad was one the first people I consulted. With his past of moving from Las Vegas to Alaska and then to Colorado, he of course gave me his blessing to follow my dream. After finally settling into my role as Fishing Manager at Lone Mountain Ranch and starting to guide, my Dad couldn’t have been more proud that I achieved my goal. Since then a few of my most memorable days on the river have been with my Dad. Around his 65th birthday, our whole family floated the Madison River. I had my Mom and Dad in the drift boat and Megan floated alongside in my Dad’s pontoon boat. That Day, my Dad landed one of the biggest brown trout that he had ever caught on a fly rod. It will always be one my favorite fish. I can still hear his scream of excitement when I netted that fish! It felt like we had the whole river to ourselves. Little did we know it would be one of the last days where it was just the four of us, before Megan and I started our own families. We all knew it was a special day and at the boat ramp before we all left on our separate ways we all cried together.
In the last ten years my Dad, and best friend, has been a part of all my major life events. I remember calling my Dad shortly after meeting my future wife, Gwyneth, and telling him that I think I have met “the one.” Not too long after that my Dad was visiting when I moved from Big Sky to Philipsburg. He helped me pack up all my belongings at Lone Mountain Ranch and move everything in with my future bride. We shared tears of joy on the phone while celebrating the Broncos winning the Super Bowl in 2015. Most memorably, I was lucky to have my Dad stand by my side and be my Best Man at my wedding. He brought the house down with his Best Man speech at the reception, bringing the room to laughter and tears. That afternoon, with my Dad, I was joined by three of my best friends who were all with me in Honduras when I got the call to come home.
Steven John McKinnie is sorely missed by all of his friends. He is also missed by casual acquaintances from construction sites, from around Glenwood or from his daily visits to the grocery store. But ultimately he is mourned by his family; his wife, his kids and his grandkids. I’m thankful for everything my Dad has taught me. He taught me to be a Broncos fanatic, he imparted his work ethic, taught me to be a handyman and to be an outdoorsman. Most importantly he showed me how to be a loyal friend, a caring husband and loving Dad.
McKinnie Fly Fishing Outfitters of Montana 