The calm before the storm...

Sleep or fish...sleep or fish...sleep or fish...Normally this would be a no brainer decision but I've been running on 4-5 hrs sleep a night for the past couple of weeks and throw in the fact that I'm working 6-11's and hitting the gym almost every night has me pretty much exhausted.  To be quite honest that's been my MO for quite some time.  I can kinda roll with it but any shift from the norm upsets the balance and takes a toll on my body.  I used to live for shutdowns but nowadays I despise them.  The money is always welcome but seriously...is it worth it in the grand scheme of things and anymore they seem to always fall at the most inopportune time for a Steelheader. 

It's probably noble of the company I work for to do these outages outside of the high vacation periods but it always stings when the rivers are full of fish and I have to work.    There are much worse problems to have and I should not be complaining.  So back to my dilemma...With one day off and the ominous threat of this "end of days" storm coming I figured I better take advantage of the opportunity and get my weary body out of bed and on the road to what makes me happy.  Once the Frankenstorm hits the rivers will be flowing high and muddy for some time.   

I have been very fortunate the past two outing to have had the opportunity to fish isolated water in peace.  Today's approach was to be no different.  Gang fishing serves no purpose for me.  I get that it can be a social event and the opportunity for big number days is ever so present but I sense there is a competitiveness about it...a need for others to be seen and seen doing better than their competition.  Then there is the one thing that I cannot tolerate... the ones that need to be heard.  I cannot be around that...I have turned into a social recluse I guess but my time on the water is to valuable to be ruined by my inability to ignore ignorance.  So... once again I found myself on the back roads of the county enroute to  an off the beaten path access.  Arriving to the river I was not overly surprised to have her to myself.  I suspected some company would arrive with the onset of the morning but for an hour or so I had her to myself.   I managed to turn a couple of chrome bullets for my efforts.  One came to hand and one bid farewell after a decent thrashing on the surface.  As anticipated a party of two cleared the trail head and announced their arrival. 

Both were friends from work and they set up at the top of the run.  We shared the morning drift for the next couple of hours and turned a few more fish.  The winds picked up and the temps seemed to plummet.  We were all ill prepared for the cold and excessive winds so wiith a mountain of unattended yard work looming at home I decided to pull the pin.   My fishing partners shared the same sentiments and we exited the floodplain.  It was 11:30 and I was adequately recharged.  I found my success and set my head straight. 

The drive home was outstanding.  There is so much to be said about the  back roads country side under  gloomy fall skies.  It certainly is a relaxing time of the year.
Race to Freedom from Brian M on Vimeo.