Where I Am

Even when not wetting a line in the North Fork, that is where I am. If it isn’t the river, its the woods bordering it. It is my sanctuary, my home, and my place of solitude. Nothing can get me when I am on the river or in the woods. Only the animals that frequent the woods will sense my presence. If I am lucky, not even they will recognize me. I want to be forgotten. Motionless, slowly breathing I will become a tree, become a rock in the river, or simply become nature itself.

I do my best to blend in, it is a pitiful atempt in all reality. I am not apart of nature. The Earth has become a sanctuary for humans and not so much for the creatures that originally were here.    “I know I am intruding but please let me stay”, I cry. They reject me at first. I am an intrusion. I don’t belong here. “Please, I want to stay”, I say again. “I will be quiet, I won’t even move from this tree”, I reassure them. Shhhh…..Don’t move, they are accepting me. They are curious, just like myself.

I once was a part of nature. Mankind was a part of nature. Relying on the land, self-suffiecent, respecting the earth they stood on. Where is that today? When do you stop and look at a leaf, think about the veins of life running throught it just like yourself, and appreciate the beauty in it. Simplicity. A word commonly ignored today. Well, tomorrow I head to simplicity. I will walk amongst the trees, walk along the rocky river bottom, and I will be where I should be. It is my life. Nature is the blood that runs through my veins.

MT

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Uber Excited!!!

Okay, so I am jumping out of my seat with the excitement my last batch of images has brought me. Not only did I get to be in the woods this weekend and witness magnifcent (and cunning) Whitetails, but I got to enjoy a float on the river. It was beautiful and I did all I could to cram the beauty in my small viewfinder. It would be comparable to if I was a painter, I would need a canvas that I could run along and paint every detail I saw. No image can bring the happiness of actually being there, but to those who weren’t experiencing God’s marvelous creation this weekend, here is a little of what you missed. Too busy admiring my work to write more. Enjoy.        Oh!!! One more thing. Go out and enjoy nature, it changes every day.

MT

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Fishing Report: 10-4

I had my friend Theresa up for the day. She only gets to fish once a year and that is with me, so I guess I should feel privelaged.  Anyways, the fishing conditions started off great. A little drizzle and nice cloud cover. Well, I was surprised that the fishing wasn’t better considering this. She was using a stonefly pattern and nymphing like we always do. Unfortunately, the fish were not fooled very much. Besides a nice Rainbow at the upper part of the float, the fishing was not good. I did see numerous nice fish. Meaning, over 20″ Browns. I think they are beginning to stage for spawning. Maybe that was it. Well next time will be better. I am looking foward to some cooler weather and maybe some snow. I know that sounds crazy but if you havn’t seen the river with snow, you are not going to understand.

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My Unforgettable Day

 

We all have days in our lives that are unforgettable. Yes, some are ones that we wish never to remember, but the story I have today is quite to the contrary.

Its evening on the North Fork of the White River, the river is warmly lit by the receding sun. I am fishing with my brother and my father, two men I love and respect. What could be better, we had caught some fish, nothing great but we were together; anymore an accomplishment in itself. I was anxiously awaiting the next riffle, a spot that historically holds some big fish. I was too impatient to wait so I began fishing as we drifted down. I soon hooked up with a brown. Landing it, I turned the boat around for another shot at the same spot the preivous fish came from. I ended up landing another, and another at the same time as my Dad landed one. Great spot! “I’ve never caught this many fish out of this spot”, I said.

I was pleased with the day, I had just landed half a dozen fish in one spot. Well, I got greedy and wanted to catch more. I knew there had to be a bigger one in there. I just knew it. The line fed from the my hand, the line resting on the surface, the size #8 Pat’s Stonelfy bouncing along the river rock. The trout, as if on que takes the fly, the indicator shooting upstream. This was a fish. “Big Fish”, I said! I knew from the initial headshake and flash, this wass no average Brown. 

I fought the fish in the current, he was relentless. I could not turn him for many minutes, even with the SAGE six weight I was using. He began esing into the shallows. I could see his thick shoulders. Nice fish. My brother and my Dad watched as I played the fish, not know when he would give up. WHen he finally did, my father was there with the net. Swoosh! The net did its job. The fish flopping in the net like a beached whale. WHOAA! This fish that “flopped like a whale” according to me, was 23″ with a big hooked jaw. What an impressive male Brown Trout. I got on my knees in the water, holding the fish in the shallows, took some photos, and then began the reviving process. He was a strong fish, not very long and his tale was pulsating, ready to swim away. He was beautiful, something to remember. He was the chief of the hole, he was the boss. He slowly slipped from my hands, gliding along the bottom. I shook my Dad’s hand, he was proud. No one was more proud than myself. My best fish, with my best friends. Awesome.

I clipped the fly off my line, took the indicator off, and reeled my line in. I was done, for the day that is. Nothing could compare. I was not that greedy to try and get a bigger one. I knew God had truly blessed me, the fish was mine for a moment, but even the fish deserves to have his glory.

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