I went fishing this morning but apparently Dagon, the god of the fishes, had taken the day off. There were others on the river this morning. I could hear them laughing and saying "Whoa, that's a nice one!" But apparently the trout considered my flies the equivalent of sow belly because they turned their noses (do fish have noses?) at my lures.
I almost wish I'd taken a stick of dynamite with me. Drop a half stick under water and my net would be full,. But that takes a lot of the sport out of it so I opted to cuss my fly rod, and reel as well as all the lures in my tackle box.
When you're on a dry spell, it's easy to forget that the "important part of fishing ain't the fish but the fishin'" as the folk song goes.
The day warmed up quickly but I was waist-deep in cold water and it felt good. Off in the distance a woodhen rapped on an old dead oak, looking for breakfast.
On the way out I passed a fisherman landing a trout. I asked him what he used, and he showed me a tiny brown fly. I showed him what I'd just been using and he said, "It looks like the same fly." Oh well.
He told me he lives about 3 hours away in a small town in central Alabama. When he mentioned the name, I smiled. It just happened to be a town where my column runs. When I told him, he was surprised. Life is full of funny coincidences.
Below is a photo that has NOTHING to do with this post.
I almost wish I'd taken a stick of dynamite with me. Drop a half stick under water and my net would be full,. But that takes a lot of the sport out of it so I opted to cuss my fly rod, and reel as well as all the lures in my tackle box.
When you're on a dry spell, it's easy to forget that the "important part of fishing ain't the fish but the fishin'" as the folk song goes.
The day warmed up quickly but I was waist-deep in cold water and it felt good. Off in the distance a woodhen rapped on an old dead oak, looking for breakfast.
On the way out I passed a fisherman landing a trout. I asked him what he used, and he showed me a tiny brown fly. I showed him what I'd just been using and he said, "It looks like the same fly." Oh well.
He told me he lives about 3 hours away in a small town in central Alabama. When he mentioned the name, I smiled. It just happened to be a town where my column runs. When I told him, he was surprised. Life is full of funny coincidences.
Below is a photo that has NOTHING to do with this post.
Ah sorry no fish.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful picture.
This brings back fishing memories of my own..... Sorry the fish weren't biting that day....
ReplyDeleteI guess it all depends if the fish are hungry wether they bite or not.
When I was a kid I went fishing in the brook down by my grandparents's place and I caught some nice trouts. They weren't big but they were tasty and very fresh. A kid had to eat...
My fishing gears were very basic. I had a live earth worm on my little hook, my line was just a white cotton string that I saved from the grocery wrapped parcels. No plastic bags in those days and my rod was nothing more than a long skinny branch and my weight was a little rock. Theres was lots of fish then and I never went home empty handed. I never went fishing after a rain, and I found that the best place to find fish was under fallen trees in the brook. Those were the good old days.
Actually you may have seen me fishing in my Childhood Memories rug a way back.
JB
I haven't been fishing for ages and ages. I used to go with my uncle Kenny. After a few times though, he wouldn't take me anymore because he got annoyed that I always would beg him to throw the fish back in lol.
ReplyDeleteDear Rick, I'm thinking that your writing a column must lead to some interesting and intriguing and also amusing encounters with people who might have read your words.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was growing up, I read the Kansas City Times and the Kansas City Star (morning and evening papers) faithfully. And in one or the other was a column called "Starbeams." The columnist was Bill Vaughn and I still remember his name and his column with pleasure because he wrote such interesting and witty stories. I would have started reading his column when I was in fourth grade in 1945 and I read him until I entered the convent in 1958. I think he continued to write into the '70s.
And I think of you and your writing with the same sense of delight. Peace.
Sounds like an interesting day...no fish, but a new acquaintance! Just getting out and enjoying nature can be the best part of any day!
ReplyDeleteRick, Fishing is for relaxing and once in awhile dinner! :o)
ReplyDeleteBut TNT might just work...
Roxy
Any day spent fishing--even if you don't catch any--is better than a day at an office!!
ReplyDelete