Vol. 14 No. 19

ALLOWANCES

Days like today take me back; fog hanging low in the frost - flocked cottonwoods and willows along the river. Decoys set along the edge of the gravel bar next to the water of the South Fork. Brushing away the snow, and making a little nest among the trunks and roots of trees tossed by the river, into a pile on the bar.

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR [A cautionary tale]

It was a beautiful day along the river. The spring time sun was warm on his face and the smell of sweet ferns and cedar mixed together in a most satisfying manner permeating the air with a pleasant aroma. The first mayflies of the season had briefly brought the trout to the surface but he had not been able to find a suitable match.

THIS SHOULD BE FUN

It seems that the world is filled with things that are necessary but that are anything but fun. Some people find a career that they really enjoy, but for many people what they do for a living is just a job and it’s anything but fun. We take up hobbies; pleasant diversions that take our minds off the difficulties of life. Unfortunately, our hobbies often become more stressful than our everyday life, or so it seems by some of things that I read or some of the things I have witnessed.

ISN'T IT GREAT

There isn't a day that goes by when I don't marvel at the complexity of fly fishing or the amazing variety of people who take it up as not just a hobby ‑ but as though it were a 'calling.'

SIMPLIFIED MY HOOKS

It is easy to see that a hook junkie lives in this house. There are several sizes of a lot of different types of hooks in the places where hooks are kept.

During one of the rain storms this summer, when it was not wisdom to be waving a stick around in the air, I did a hook area cleaning and organizing.

BEGINNINGS "A Season of Archery"

"The buck moved closer...40 yards now, and he raised the bow. He could count the tines and see the color change as the antlers went from dark brown to near ivory tips. It was 30 yards now, and he slowly began to inch his bow into shooting position. At 20 yards he began his draw as his eyes concentrated on a spot just behind the front leg. His mind burned an imaginary bull's-eye on the deer as the string began to slip from his fingers..."

THE DJG MIDGE

I first started tying this pattern quite a few years ago. I just happened to come up with it during a trip to Bennet Spring State Park with my brother. There was a midge hatch coming off the water.  I caught one out of the air to have a look. I didn’t have anything quite that small, so on our lunch break I bought a box of size 24 Mustad hooks and tried to come up with something that looked similar to the midge I’d caught. It took several tries, but I had a winner before lunch was over. I’ve been fishing them ever since.