EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared in the News and Tribune sports magazine, provided to the newspaper’s subscribers.
Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Tasmania. He’s been there. Fly fishing, motorcycle adventures, off-roading, swimming in the Arctic Ocean. He’s done it all.
This isn’t the beginning of a script for a new Indiana Jones movie. It’s the true story of New Albany resident Chris Flanagan.
Flanagan, a longtime New Albany resident and 1989 graduate of New Albany High School, spent most of his young adult life like most, going to college and working for a living.
He studied interpersonal communications at Indiana University Southeast and eventually owned a business that offered computer consulting services. Flanagan didn’t like the constant travel his job required and opted for a career at Chick-fil-A.
“I own two Chick-fil-A restaurants in Elizabethtown, Kentucky,” Flanagan says. “I was traveling almost all the time,” he says of his IT consulting business. “I just wanted to take a different direction that didn’t require as much travel. I also wanted to partner with a meaningful brand. Chick-fil-A allowed me to accomplish those goals.”
He has owned these restaurants for over 20 years, allowing him to spend quality time with his wife of 31 years and adult children. Flanagan is married to Gerri. They have three children, Zack, 28, Aaron, 26, and Megan, 23.
Call it fate. Call it irony. Flanagan’s desire to leave a job that required him to travel constantly twenty years ago gave him the freedom to do just that: travel.
“I turned 50 a few years ago and I’ve been thinking about the past decade and what the next 25 years might look like for me,” Flanagan says. “My kids are all grown and doing well. I’m fortunate to have some flexibility in my career and some extra money to travel.”
So he travels. And not just to resorts in Hawaii or villas in Italy. He’s an adventurous traveler.
Flanagan and a group of friends took a motorcycle trip through the Balkans, starting in Croatia and continuing south through Montenegro and Albania. According to Flanagan, much of the trip was on dirt roads and through mountain passes.
“There were sheep and cows grazing everywhere,” he said. “They were even in the middle of the roads. It certainly made for a challenging but memorable ride.”
Flanagan compares adventure motorcycle riding to motorcycle touring, saying, “It involves riding off-road on a motorcycle, usually in remote locations where all of your camping gear and supplies are on the motorcycle.”
Flanagan also enjoys off-roading. Off-roading is a type of vehicle travel that involves exploring the world and learning from it. It is a combination of remote travel, off-roading, and camping.
“I recently drove my off-road vehicle, a Ford Bronco, to the Arctic Ocean in northern Canada. I traveled over 16,000 kilometres and the trip took about a month,” he says. “It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.”
Even though his family doesn’t accompany him on all his adventures, the Flanagans spend time together.
“We made the decision a few years ago to stop giving material gifts for Christmas and instead give a family trip every year, including fly-fishing and snowboarding trips to Montana and Colorado and a pub crawl in Ireland,” Flanagan says.
Nearly every adventure involves fishing for this lifelong New Albanian. From snook fishing in the Florida Everglades to freshwater trout fishing in Poland, Flanagan is hooked.
He has been fishing since childhood and continues to use whatever methods suit him best depending on the conditions. Fly fishing, however, has become his passion and, according to him, his obsession.
“I love fishing any way I can. I spend a lot of time in saltwater, mostly around the Florida Everglades. I prefer fly fishing over any other method, but I also love catching fish,” Flanagan says with a laugh. “Sometimes fly fishing isn’t the best option in the situation.”
A dedicated student of every new endeavor he attempts, Flanagan has come to tie all of his own flies for fishing and has recently begun making rods.
“I like the idea of adding to the design and construction concept everything that goes into catching a fish,” he explains. “The rod is the most fundamental tool. I recently completed a saltwater rod for a friend. He was thrilled that he could completely customize the rod components rather than buying a rod “as is” off the shelf. A hand-built fly fishing rod also makes a wonderful family gift.”
Flanagan learned to fly fish from a family member about 20 years ago and has worked hard to perfect the sport ever since. He has fly fished in all 48 contiguous states and Alaska, and has also fished in Canada, Australia, Eastern Europe and Iceland.
“I have been fortunate to fly fish some of the most beautiful waters in the world. But the most memorable times were spent at Indian Creek and Silver Creek in Indiana, where I taught my sons how to fly fish.”
The dedicated student is also a willing teacher. One need only look to his good friend Brent Rogers to hear stories of Flanagan’s generosity, encouragement and passion for life and learning.
Rogers met Flanagan during a summer science class in high school. As fate would have it, they dated for several years before reuniting at a critical time in Rogers’ life.
“I was making some tough decisions, both personally and professionally,” Rogers recalls. “Chris was there to mentor me, listen to me, or just let me ramble. That experience showed me the type of person Chris was, and in turn, he made me a better friend, a better leader, a better father, a better son, and a better brother to those around me.”
Flanagan and Rogers, along with other friends, have traveled the world together. Several years ago, Flanagan, Rogers and Joey Rivera made a pact to travel by bike, car and camping from the Mexican border to the Arctic Ocean. They completed their mission last September.
Not only did Flanagan introduce Rogers to a lifestyle filled with adventure, he also helped him learn to ride a motorcycle and fly fish.
“We were on a trip to the Florida Keys and Chris asked me if I wanted to fish. I said, ‘You mean, like, with a float?’” Rogers says. “Chris smiled and said, ‘Let’s get out on the water and I’ll teach you.’” Rogers says that’s what led him to learn to fly fish — on a boat — in the mangroves of the Florida Keys. It doesn’t get much harder than that.
“He was patient and explained to me what he was doing and why he was doing it. It was a fantastic experience and I caught a fish the first time,” Rogers said. “That’s when I realized Chris was a special guy. If he’s going to do something, he has to do his research, understand the ins and outs and he’s going to be a master.”
Rogers managed to thank Flanagan for teaching him how to fly fish. His best catch after learning to cast and retrieve was sticking a hook in Flanagan’s ear.
“We couldn’t get the hook out, so he left it in, went home and had a relative come in and surgically remove it,” Rogers said. “It wasn’t my proudest moment, but it’s certainly a great story to tell.”
Whether it’s teaching his children about work and life or showing a friend how to fly fish, Flanagan has the patience and sincere desire to help those around him improve. He’ll tell you he’s found a balance that works for him.
“I think a lot of people work their whole lives and save up to retire in their 60s or 70s with the hopes of starting to travel. Often times, they get there and just aren’t able to do the things we’d like to do at that age. I take every opportunity I can to cross things off my adventure bucket list while I’m still young enough to do them.”
With all the memories of adventures near and far already buried, it’s hard to imagine Flanagan saying more. Rest assured, he did.
“Among the few trips I haven’t completed yet are those where I went horseback riding and fishing through Mongolia and through Patagonia in Argentina.”
