Another "first" in my life

There are firsts in your life, even as you approach middle age. There are the usual. Watching your daughter get married, having your first colonoscopy and getting your first AARP correspondence come to mind among many others which I’m too shy or too sensitive to mention. For those of us lucky enough to spend a hundred or more days a year in waders, there are still firsts and this week I had one of them.

I was fishing a stretch of a large river that I had not been on before but had recently gained access to through a private landowner. Having fished the river many times before, albeit upstream where wading is simply treacherous rather than downright dangerous, I was anxious to see what it held in store. I fished it at high noon, thinking that if I could move fish then, I’d have the world by the balls rather than the other way around which is typical, if you know what I mean.

I fished downstream to a rather fishy pool, shaded by a white pine it would have taken four grown men (or extremely tall women) to get their arms around. It was perched atop the outside of an undercut bank that had me dreaming of a 20-inch brown trout grabbing the girdle bug or Copper John I was patiently drifting through its lair. The tree’s base had been eroded enough for me to see its massive roots, started during its seedling days that likely began before the days of Prohibition, a time that would have put me and all of my friends in jail (not that I have many friends nor that we drink a lot). A small trickle of six-inch boulders falling into the water followed by a groan of its massive trunk probably signaled its demise, but what the hell, it was still a fishy-looking spot.

Another gust of wind, no twitches from my Thingamabobber, and another groan from the tree ultimately sealed the deal and I moved upstream to await its fate. I would love to tell you that as soon as I moved away the relic hit the stream, but it was about ten minutes after I had moved on that the groan evolved into an audible crack and the familiar sound of a tree going down screamed out. The subsequent splash of water was all I needed to know that I had moved on just in the nick of time.

For those who showed up for a fishing report, fishing continues to improve and we had just under an inch of rain on Friday, something the fish needed. Cooler weather also arrived and the combination should keep the fish happy. Streamers continue to catch the most fish, especially on cloudy days. 

To those who are spending a few days with me this summer, you will be happy to learn that the screen porch/sauna is taking shape and I am hoping it will be ready for my 4^th of July guests.