When it comes to time on the water I am admittedly a solitary animal. At times out of necessity, but more often than not, by choice. There is a portion of time that requires solitude in order to recharge that which makes me tick. It’s almost as if the water is an outlet, and my legs are the two prongs of a power cord. Yet, for something in which I feel so definitively, it is unbelievably hard to express in words. Water brings my thoughts to the most honest point in my existence. Alone I contemplate my most concerning issues, my deepest fears, my greatest moments and my epic fails. I consider the many gifts life has provided, the countless times I have failed myself in regret for something needed but not attempted, or those things somehow missed in moments of distraction that are forever unable to be revisited and corrected. Water and solitude are what takes me there. The feeling of water moving against my legs is a catalyst for so much of what my mind requires.

Headed off to the pond one morning. Had loaded the canoe and all the necessary equipment. Got to the pond and loaded everything into the canoe. Had a 3 weight and 5 weight rod with me. Silver Goldie Jr on one rod and a black boa yarn leech on the other.

A week later I pulled up in front of his house again and when I approached the front door I saw that the same sign was still hanging there. Perhaps, I thought, he had forgotten to take it down so I rang the bell. As I stood there a man approached me and introduced himself as Dean’s neighbor. He inquired if I was looking for Dean and I shook my head in the affirmative. I pointed to the sign on the door and he smiled. He told me that he knew where Dean was and gave me directions.

I started fly fishing dry flies and I still prefer to fish for trout with dry flies. The lure of selecting a fly and presenting it in such a way that may convince a feeding trout that my artificial is edible still thrills me. Learning the names of the various insects, their life cycles and then tying flies to imitate them added a special facet to the enjoyment of fishing with dry flies.

Remember the famous opening lines of the famed TV series and movie Star Trek, well from a fly fishing for trout point of view, Trout are the final frontier, let me explain.

In the last couple years many parts of our country have experienced extreme weather conditions that have had some very adverse impacts on the lakes and streams in various parts of our country, and even around the world. Whether changed by flooding, drought or the results of wildfires that stripped the water shed of vegetation and flooded the stream and lakes with silt, our water resources have experienced some major changes.