You mean it rained? Really?

Many weeks of drought followed by two weeks of shutdown 12’s = little to no fishies for Brian

But wait…the rains…they a cometh and the outage end is in sight. Well enough rain to tempt me to book off a day to hit the tribs with Norland.


It had been a long time since we ran the banks together and it was much needed therapy for me. We can have 50 fish days or we can have 2 fish days. It really dosen’t matter…The enjoyment is no different when you are in good company. Honestly, by now we have caught and released more fish than any deserving person should. The enjoyment for me is found in the subtleness of an outing shared with a friend. The random bird nests or blown fish followed by the harsh expletives and insults. The raw and stellar beauty of a chrome hen prior to her release. Hooking and landing a fish on a friends hand tied jig.
The level of anticipation before to the first drift so heavy you can taste it in your mouth. That one special photo out of hundreds that just seemed to capture the moment. It is so much more about the means than the ends now. The collective experience entirely fuels the enjoyment. I used to have the blinders on. Now I just soak it all in like a sponge. Good days on the river are to be cherished.

The river could have been a tad higher but the color was mystical. The pressure was low and the weather was outstanding.


The second deer hunt was on which forced us to fly the colors. I hate wearing that crap but I also hate being shot in the gut so fly the colors we will. I still fear the day I hear the dreaded redneck jargon “Look.. an orange deer! Shoot that m’fer” I know that time is coming…



I do a good job lately at forgetting how old I am becoming but this sport reminds me with a vengeance at the end of each outing. Today my knees, hips, legs, and back all remind me that payment is due for services rendered. And once again as we left the river we ran into a senior angler well into his 70’s enjoying a drift. There are about 3 of these gents that we share the river with.
I want to think I got another 30+years in me but I don’t know…One thing I do know is that it won’t be at the crazy pace we put down yesterday. Maybe there is truth to my OCD suspicions. Maybe realizing it is the start to managing it. Hmmmm…. We’ll see.