It has been said that the finer things in life are free.
With summer sounds upon us and bliss in full swing, what better way to spend time beside a soft flowing stream. Sitting and watching the stars under clear skies in the thick cover of blackness, no city lights to be seen for miles. As smoke from the fire billows upward to the heavens, the sounds of coyote’s and crickets captivate your ear drums. Trout splashing playfully in the pool that team’s with life. Since I was a child, I always wanted to be outdoors in the wild. Now with offspring of my own, I can pass that boyhood passion down to my daughter. The original PlayStation was ropes hanging from a thick tree beside the river bank or a small tributary creek of the main channel where we would watch minnows and pounce like a cat, trying our best to catch one. A pond close by our house where the sounds of frogs could be heard through the front window left open. When I was young we played outside for hours with most of the summer holidays near, or in water. Perhaps this is why I am drawn to its shimmering glow.
Fin’s and skins was the game, one day a slice and the next a hook, hooked jaw browns taken from gin clear streams of the Rocky Mountains. Now I fish and camp as I did a minor, still following that hooked jawed brown that escaped my grasp long ago. I lay in bed at night thinking of him, why did I not net him to see his entire splendor. Some fish you land and some fish get away without a touch, haunting me until we meet again some other day. If fishing were just catching, I believe I would have lost my rod and perhaps the passion long time ago. What keeps me coming back for more is the one’s that escape me, some I see and some never surface, they just pull and pull without catching a glimpse. You know they are massive but they are shy, and don’t want human interaction.
My juvenile dreams come to life each and every time I step into my boat or along the bank. Whether I catch or not, that shimmering light refracting off the surface draws me in recurrently. Life is short and the most treasurable commodity we have is time, after all we cannot get it back! I make the most of my time with my friends, my family and my fish. Some fish have seen me before and some have yet to feel my touch. So I return year after year to reconnect with them and the sweet smells of pine and poplar. Fishing is a little different than most other sports, once you have all the gear it is relatively inexpensive, a little gas in the vehicle and off you go on another adventure.
If you look at the above picture, you will see my shadow. The day turns to night as the water rushes bye, gently softly it flows. The fish move in and out of its course wanting me to return again another day. As the sun dips below the horizon, I slip away begrudgingly. What keeps you coming back? Is it the fish or perhaps just the serene settings of nature? Leave a comment and let us why you love the outdoors.
