Woke this morning to rain. Not your average rain, but a cold steady driving rain. Storm front rain. Hopped in the car at 6.00am and pulled up to my first stop at 7.00. The rain as I had hoped had not stopped and now combined with wind was whipping the tree tops around in a falling leaf filled fury.
For a moment I thought about the house, the warm fire and bagging fishing for today. The moment passed and I geared up-standing under the rear door and listening to the staccato rain beat down on the topside of it.
The river was fast, and green, with small twigs and leaves rushing downstream. My river otter friend was no where to be seen this morning, probably at home in the warm and not like me-here with my oversized indicator and freezing temps. Why was I here? These thoughts began to run through my head as a minutes ticked by.
Soaked through in 30 minutes, my baseball cap is useless, and my hands are growing numb, so much so that tying on a PT Flashback takes 5 minutes. It's my fourth fly of the morning.
Why is it-like the spawners I watch-that I am willing to forego warmth and comfort to find myself on this creek in this weather at this time?
My indicator gives me the answer as I am just about to call it for the day, it vanishes into the green fast flowing creek and my reel let's loose a scream, this is why I am here!
My fish is another old timer. She knows these waters, she knows this hidey hole, and she knows how to play the fisherman. Two blistering runs, one upstream, I manage to coax her down and one downstream that has me cursing and laughing as I stumble like a man in a space suit over slippery rocks...tricky girl.
She eventually holds tight in a slip and comes to hand after that with little fan fare. Just enough time for the photo finish, and then it's back into the creek to finish what she has obviously come here to do. For a brief moment I am warm and forget the cold and wind and rain...this is why we fish.
looks like that girl already did her deed for the yr, spawned out and skinny, but great job to stick it in there. man i really really need to get out there. beautiful story to go with a beautiful pic.
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Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
Yup, Thats why we fish. At one point today at work I asked myself, "i wonder if anyone is toughing it out on putah today" Guess you were, Way to go shark diver. When all that wind blown debris starts drifting downstream it's a real pain in the.....
Sounds surreal, that's just the way I remember one or two of my rain fishing experiences, but on other water than Putah.
I found myself thinking about the creek today too. Fielding calls from managers, trying to escape the computer and the telephone. Took a walk, looking at that cloudy sky, made me wonder what it was like out there.
Fantastic SharkDiver! Thanks for that slice of your day!
Why we fish? ... Zen? Existential? nah, just cool!
Thanks again!
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"You tell yourself that it will be both educational and spiritually uplifting, as all imaginative excuses for goofing off are." John Gierach, "Music of the Spheres".
Nice!! I had the day off as well and had planned on making it out to the creek. When I mentioned my plans to the wife last night, she reminded me that I'd promised to run some erands and pick my son up at school. As the day came and went, I remained disapointed that my plans had fallen through and despite the weather, I envied those who were braving the elements, doing what we love to do. Thanks for the report and pictures. See you on the stream someday. Viking
It's a joke AC, which I'm sure Shark diver understood. Lots of heated topics lately on here so I'm just throwing stuff around for fun. There's obviously nothing but a gorgeous fish there and a couple of leaves.
and i nice pool (lil puddle of water) he was just makin fun of the puddle of water the fish was in, and stating thats his favorite pool to fish. i got it cole. that was funny.
out i am out like trout, ill be on the water first light tomorrow.
tight lines
__________________
Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
Think I might be on the creek tomorrow...stay the hell away from my "little pool". It may not look like much but it's stuffed full of fat trout, and it's mine, MINE I tells ya!
Look for the guy all hunched up like that critter from Lord of the Rings mumbling over a trout and it will probably be me. Tight lines!
It's a joke AC, which I'm sure Shark diver understood. Lots of heated topics lately on here so I'm just throwing stuff around for fun. There's obviously nothing but a gorgeous fish there and a couple of leaves.
