Today is day 764 of our two-week Covid-19 quarantine. I'm currently experiencing a dull ache behind the eyes and a feeling of listlessness. It's been quite a while since I last went fishing or hiking or snowshoeing or anything exciting. My consumption of random trail mixes has also increased. It's not a great combination.
To say that we are living in strange times is probably the understatement of the century.
The Great Kokanee Search
Kokanee Salmon. It's official, I've got a new obsession. I learned a few months ago that Kokanee's inhabit a river just twenty minutes from my house. A few local newspaper articles, several hours of "googling," and way too much time staring into my phone watching YouTube videos and I have become determined to catch one of these boogers.
I'll admit, I am captivated by some of the oddities in the fishing world. Tiny little trout? Check. Slimy, stinky carp? Check (although I've yet to catch one). Whiskery catfish? Check. And now, those prehistoric-looking kokanee. What can I say, they've captured my heart from afar.
Read moreWriter's Block - A Journey
I've just sat down at my local library to write about some of our recent fishing trips and I encountered a problem I've had all year, writer's block. I've tried exercises varying from free writing to forcing myself into 1000 words to switching up where I write. Needless to say, not much of it has worked. They say (who are they anyway?) that this condition can last a few weeks to a few years. I'd like to think I'm still in a curable stage and can recover without too much treatment. I put a bit of effort into some technical 'how-to' writing, but what can I teach you that you don't already know? I'm stuck with the metaphorical gibberish.
Read moreStill Here
There’s a chile roaster in a just about every grocery store parking lot. The aspen trees are changing from green to bright yellow and orange. All of the trout have decked themselves out in their best fall colors. Mornings are brisk, usually in the 40s; afternoons are full-on summer. For me, this is the most magical time of the year and usually one of the hardest.
In years past, this is the week that Jacob and I would pack up our little Subaru, full of beer that we couldn’t find back East and goodies that we couldn’t live without, usually a collection of rocks and other treasures found along trout streams. It’s the time of year that we say “see ya’ later” to the place we love so much, but not this year.
Read moreFinding Your Endurance
I've figured out that there's an endurance sport for almost every 'outdoorsy' person, mountain, desert or water, there's certainly one for you. But here's the thing, fly-fishing is most certainly not on that list, or so I thought.
A while back, Jacob and I went out into the high country, possibly a bit earlier than we should have. See, there was plenty of snow this past year and it took the rivers a little while to go down. As much as we both thought we knew what 'high water' meant, alas, we did not. It was much like coming to grips with the fact that east coast mountains are not the same as actual mountains. Swallow pride, move on.
Read moreDiscovering Cutthroat and A Little More
If you drive around in the mountains a bit from our house, follow a Forest Service road for a few miles, you end up in a canyon with a perfect little river flowing through it. It's mostly become our 'go-to' escape, given its closeness and exceptional beauty. But, who am I kidding, almost everything here is perfectly splendid.
We decided on a quick trip in the middle of the day right when the temperature had gotten too hot to work anymore, and a little extra elevation was necessary. We hit the river just as the afternoon rainstorm did it is monsoon season after all.
If you've been a follower of this little blog of ours, you've probably noticed that I've misplaced my enthusiasm for it. Maybe it's the adjustment to a new place, lack of motivation, too many rod bags, too little adventure, or perhaps basic laziness. I'm still trying to figure it out.
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