Soon

[Otter]

Its been a long hard winter with bad weather and this b..ooody recession.

Just over two weeks till the rivers re-open here for the new season and the anticipation grows more painful by the day.

I have to admit really enjoying the opening part of the season. The fishing is generally really tough for the first three weeks and each fish be it 6" or 12" is welcomed with a sense of awe as we have waited so long over the winter to enjoy our dancing with nature. We will wonder how well the trout have survived the winter and with difficult fishing we worry that something may be wrong. But nature will ( I hope) do as she always does, slowly brings the rivers to life and within weeks feistry trout will start looking to the surface. Forgotten will be our winters philosophising and CONJECTURING Once again we will revel in the joy of being a trout angler and will measure our lives by hatches and the moods of the river. And who knows, maybe one of our flights of fancy at the vice may live up to the promise that it showed when we carefully found a place in the overly stuffed fly box.

For those of you that eagerly await the new season, tight lines and much pleasure.

[letumgo]

Well said! I too am awaiting the time when I can wet a line again. For me, the need to fish has grown into a sense of "longing". Unfortunately we still seem to have many weeks (6 to 8 perhaps) of winter left...

Please take a camera with you when you get out. At least we can go along fishing with you in spirit.

[kanutripr]

Please be sure to post some pics of those little fishies. Season doesn't open here until the end of April


Vicki

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Along with the pictures of rivers and fishies, please include a few of your countryside.

REE

[tie2fish]

Wonderful sentiments, Otter, and well put.

[willowhead]

Snow here is melting FAST......fishing should be just fine by Sun. Going to be bout 60 degrees on Sun. VERY sunny today but temps. are still in the 40s.
t2f.....your rod went in the mail today.

hank, don't get to over-excited if you see this.....the post office provides PERFECT little boxes (free), for the Tenkara rods, as they are "Just" the right length.....i'm still looking for a box for your rod......."all good things.......................wait."

[hankaye]

wh, Howdy;

Ask anyone that you know what it's like to wait in the chow line on a Nimitz class carrier while it's in-port (overseas).
6,000 hungry folks haveing to be fed 3 meals a day. At sea you can find either (there are 2), Galley open 24/7 in port they feed
for about 3 hours per meal (only using ONE Galley), If you thought the lines were bad at Disney Land/World? They are a piece-of-cake by comparison.
I learned how to wait.................................................and wait ...................................................................an wait.
hank

[gixxer]

Great thought Otter ..

[DOUGSDEN]

Otter,
Sooo well said! You have a talent for words. Crafting them into images that we all share, and adore! Can you do this again?
Your talent scout,
Dougsden

[Otter]

Just for you Dougsden, though I think you overestimate my talent.

As the great day approaches, thoughts turn to where to go for opening day, and I will not be alone in these thoughts.

Last year , opening day was for me a complete disaster. Setting up the rod with more than a little haste I managed to break the tip and had to remove a few more inches so that the second ring became the top ring. We, I'm sure all have had moments like these. Crossing the first fence that had been worked on over the winter creating a nice angler friendly stile, I mangaged to unknowingly rip the new waders on the one stray strand of barbed wire. When I reached my chosen starting point I made a huge effort to control my eagerness, surveyed the water, mapping in my minds eye the sways and swirls of the current, planned my approach and gently slid into the river. As I sought to overcome the imbalance of the rod a coldness enveloped me as the cool spring water found the hole in the waders. I could have cried, all that planning ruined by a lack of care and total awkwardness, a lesser fool would have gone home.

I would love to be able to tell of capturing fine trout with finely tied flies, tales of becoming one with nature and sipping from its beauty and taking pleasure from being alive and beside a river. Alas with numb knees and water lapping inside my waders I deteriorated into a bumbling clown and took sanctuary in watching a wonderfully gifted angler ply his craft.

Like all anglers, I quickly forgot the self inflicted pain and knew that on the morrow, I would be equipped with a different rod , repaired waders and the river would as she always does, reveal a little more of her secrets.