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The affair.
We've all had our first loves. At first, we're captivated and infatuated by them like a fluttering caddis fly is to the water surface. In both instances, with mating on the mind http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/wink.gif . We swear that nothing will ever compare to them and we can't imagine living without them. In some cases, we ultimately devote the rest of our lives attempting to learn and grow together by spending an innumerable amount of time with them.
But alas, somewhere through the course of the relationship, things stagnate. The stuff you once found charming about your love, become redundant and outright annoying. The joy of being with them effetely dwindles.
You still love and treasure them for the euphoric moments you shared, while you respect and appreciate their presence through times of struggle, but as Mr. BB King somberly crooned, "the thrill is gone".
In order to cope with such pitfalls, some seek help from outside sources. A few continue on the downward trend until they are as emotionally spent as an imago stage of a mayfly. While a small faction will consider having an affair with something different in an effort to refresh their faded libidos.
Besides Valerie Bertinelli, my first love is and shall always be the Farmington river(didn't think I was going there, huh?). She was there with me when I started fishing her 20 years ago. She gingerly showed me tough love when I made the transition from spin to fly fishing almost 10 years ago, but benevolently rewarded me with a trout on that first day.
In turn, I've come to know every square inch of her winding body. We've been a symbiotic duo throughout the years. By putting out trout, she provides me with countless moments of angling bliss, while I try to maintain her beauty and appeal by picking up trash along her banks and releasing my catch. She even lets me share her with friends without a word of complaint... :p seemingly we were the perfect couple.
But, there's a new girl that I've been seeing for few years. A fertile, more voluptuous, yet slightly flawed seductress called the Housatonic River. She's had a difficult history and was in some very abusive past relationships, but bounced back nicely. It takes me an extra half hour to get to see her, but witnessing her abundant hatches, and having her share the diverse bounty of fish she possesses with me is well worth paying for the ever increasing price of gas.
It's hard to put into words how it feels to be in such a new relationship. The prospect of re-learning the nuances of a new stream carries with it many exciting challenges. This one's tougher to wade. She has way more junk in the trunk(bottom structure http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/biggrin.gif ) than my first, so she requires a specialized approach. Also, her life cycle differs from that which I'm accustomed to, so I had to reconfigure my fly boxes in order to match her contrasting hatches. In all, this is one high maintenance broad! I guess that's just well within the norm for such a grandiose goomar. http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/wink.gif
So Friday, after waking up from my 3rd shift induced coma at 11:30, I start the task of loading my truck to make the trip to the Housy. The day, to say the least, was gorgeous! Sun, but not too hot. Wind, but not to windy.
As I pull into town, I realize that I had nothing special to give to my affair. You can't call on such a classy lady without getting her something! "What do I bring her, what do I bring her" I said as I pulled into Housatonic River outfitters.
After seeing the look on my face when I entered his store, a look he's familiar with for sure, Torrey took pity on me and helped me pick something nice out for her. I was to start out fishing with a tandem of flashy Hendrickson nymphs that would lead up to the main course of these deer hair sparkle dun emergers which, one of the resident shop hands guaranteed to be a winner.
After a brief lunch, I met up with Flyrodder to fish a section of river that he really likes. Bob was into fish immediately using his patented streamer technique. If you read his report earlier in the week, you'd know how keyed in he is here. I was reaffirmed in the use subsurface flies when I saw how many similar sized nymphs were in the drift. But once I got to up, the canoe hatch started. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Being frustrated, I worked my way downstream further toward some faster water. This is where I struck gold using nymphs under a strike indicator. I quickly landed 6 browns and one nice sized smallmouth that had the rod tip bent almost to the point where it says Winston above the handle. Once the hatch started, I went back upstream where I changed my rig to dry flies. I landed 2 more stockie browns that before their capture, were mayfly sucking rise forms.
Due to a prior commitment, I reluctantly had to leave around 4:30. I knew Bob would have a good night because while leaving the river, thousands of Hendrickson spinners were beginning to fill the air in preparation for their egg laying ritual which would invariably provide us with the same hatch next year. I know Bob probably made a killing.
Does my first love feel betrayed for my angling indiscretions? Probably not. Will she notice the aquatic "lipstick on the collar" on my boots made by the limestone rich waters of the Housatonic, get jealous and slash my tires? Nope. Will I ever change my moniker to mirror that of other members infatuated with the Housy? Absolutely not! The point is that I can indulge myself in the activities provided by both rivers without any negative recourse. I'll continue in the guilty pleasure of double dipping http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/wink.gif probably until I'm physically incapable of doing so. Meaning I'd probably have to be dead.
Although nothing would be able to replace her in my thoughts, I know without a doubt that if things get rough on the Farmy, there's always the affair. http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/smile.gif
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I am a great appreciator of good writing. That sir, is good writing.
Mark
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I'd rather be in Wyoming!
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I agree - a nice peice of work there.
Thanks for sharing
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Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming - "WOW-What a Ride!"
Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive.
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Very nicely written. I've often viewed my home rivers in the same fashion.
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A river by any other name would be as sweet.
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Very nice work!
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Born to fish forced to work.
Alan
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Well done, you would fit in as a pirate.
I can imagine you, me, the dude, Roger, Stev, Purebs, Ed, Saltydancingdave, and others sitting at a fish-in telling stories. Yes the next affair needs to be in Florida and in the salt water... We have fish that will take that rod away from you. Imagine a 200lb tarpon that fights harder than that small mouth. Imagine a 200 lb small mouth and you might have a feeling for how the tarpon would feel. Heck fish with the Dude and he will take you gator fishing. We have 2 kind of gators down here. One is a gator trout, and the other is the alligator. Both give a good fight. And both are good eats.
Yea come on down and tell us your stories. We know how to reward good story tellers.
Well done!
Harold
[This message has been edited by Harold Hattaway (edited 26 April 2006).]
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Sorry when I see something like this I scroll down to see how long it is and go back to the BB to read something else.
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Bill
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Nice, ...
Maybe you can get LF to copy this into a Reader's Cast so's it won't get bumped away.
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Christopher Chin, Jonquiere Quebec
[url=http://flyanglersonline.com/travel/quebec06fishin/:5945d]2006 FishIn Ste-Marguerite River[/url:5945d]
[url=http://pages.videotron.com/fcch/:5945d]Fishing the Ste-Marguerite[/url:5945d]
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Nice story. Let me guess; your single,or divorced, right?
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"Knowledge is knowing, wisdom is understanding"