Thursday, May 27, 2010

Enlightenment.



I am not exactly sure when the switch was flipped but over the past two years I have transformed. I have become increasingly more mellow and laid back on the water. In the past, I was (I don't want to use this word) a little too hardcore about fly fishing. It was guns a blazing, 100 mph, all the time from sunup until sundown. My friends and I were always the first ones in the parking lot and the last ones to leave well after dark. We counted the fish we caught and boasted about the size of fish. We competed for water and let our body language let everyone know how we felt. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were an afterthought. Hell, we were lucky if we paused for the occasional Red Bull. We entered waterways looking like special Ops soldiers knowing they were in it for a long haul. Instruments hanged off of every loop and boxes created bulges in every pocket. Chest waders were worn in the heat of summer with nary an afterthought on how useless they can be at times. We even joked that in Pennsylvania, there are three things we are never late for...(I think you can finish this sentence).

Low, Clear, and Gorgeous.

Only Adam Would Spot This Guy.

Dragon Emerging.

Life Finds a Way.

Drying Before Take Off.

Nirvana.

It might have been the onset of the real world creeping into my horizon or it might have been just a greater appreciation of fly fishing that triggered this change. I think it all began the first time, I slept through an alarm that was designed to specifically wake me up for a day of fishing. Now, it seems that this happens a lot more than it probably should. I think it culminated the first time, I decided to take pictures rather than fish when large trout abounded all around. In between all of that, numbers and size became an afterthought. The amount of gear brought on the water shrank considerably to the point where a vest has not been worn in two years. Wet wading has started to begin in April rather than July. A camera has become the weapon of choice to capture a moment, rather than a fly rod. A new riffle or run has become a place to sit, relax, and take it all in. Through this change, an expanded awareness for the environment in which we enjoy our quarry has finally emerged. Joy is obtained just by being there rather than catching fish and not actually being there.

Company.
I Think The Group of Boy Scouts Walking Canoes Was Worse.
Yea Well.

Trout To Match The Scenery.

Red Spots.

Beat Up Bow.

Sulphur Emerger.

Spray.

Want a 4wt Switch?
Take Apart Some Old Rods, Get Some Electrical Tape, & Behold.

I think this all came to the forefront on a recent excursion to a beautiful place. It was an ideal weekend and sulphurs had been hatching near nightfall. We slept in, took breaks, and packed light. We spent a little more than a day casually fishing a lot of water, wading through forests of poison ivy, and finding a variety of cool critters in the riparian zone. We enjoyed the day rather than get frustrated by low clear water, extremely wary trout, and a horde of kayakers and canoes. We caught some fish, tried taking some pictures, and left content with the outing and the experience. We had successfully escaped, long enough to find our happy place before returning to the real world. A real world, that has allowed us to put into perspective, the time spent on the water.

Poison Ivy Everywhere.

A River Runs Through Adam.

Little & Super Smart.

I Still Get Frustrated Sometimes.

Typical Brown.

Ever Look Up?

Something Big Lurks Here.

Joy.


5 comments:

Bigerrfish said...

Just Awesome!!! on the photography here!!!! and the trees blow my mind how green and full they are...

JMP said...

I have a helios 5wt switch...best nymphing rod I have ever used...I guess the next deal is to try a 2-3wt switch....

Chris Michels said...

Dude.....

Your posts make me realize what a huge boner I am. Thanks.

Adam said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
StridArt said...

love the shots especially the little picture of the Sulphur Emerger on the rod...I'm going to have to paint that
Sulphur Emerger