She won't let go...

Winter...She just won't let go. All week I had looked forward to fishing Saturday. It was forecast to be the last day in the positives prior to yet another cold snap. After a short diversion to take care of some business outside of Grand Rapids I drove into some rain heading North. I watched the ambient temp gauge slowly creep from above freezing into the negatives. Luckily I drove out of that mess prior to the rain freezing and becoming a hazard. I arrived at the cabin and unloaded the gear. It was nearing 10 pm and damn cold. I lit the woodstove and settled in for a few drinks to unwind before calling it a night. Saturday morning came and went. I spent my time stoking the stove, drinking coffee with Bailey's, and trying to muster up the ambition to hit a partially frozen winter river. It was 1 pm before I finally donned the gear and made the drive to the access. In my youth I would have been devastated by a fishy morning wasted but with age comes experience, patience, and wisdom. My days of burning the candle at both ends and pulling no stops to fish first light are long over. I'm happy to arrive on my schedule well rested and ready to clean up the scraps. It's served me well and I have learned to go with the flow. I don't need much anymore and have nothing to prove. I am there to set my head straight and capture some memories and images on film. Well...as fate would have it my plan paid off in spades. The river was being her miserable winter self and reports from the morning shift were grim. I shook it off and put my time in, kept the faith, and covered water. The Atomic Orange Great Lakes Steelhead Co 10mm bead came through again. When I left I had turned 6 fish on a river that was being a stingy miserable bitch. My reel froze solid after the third fish. I battled iced guides and bone freezing winds the entire outing. As much as I'd like to complain it was a great day on the water. My gear kept me dry and warm and the crowds pushed me to some old water that paid off in dividends. It was a refreshing reminder to leave no stone unturned. Excellent advice for the quickly approaching combat Spring Fishery.

Reprieve

It's been over a month since my last entry. To be quite honest this winter has really put a damper on both ambition and opportunity. I got out this weekend for a few drifts. Friday's positive temps were a blessing. It was nice to finally fish without the threat of frozen fingers and iced up guides. With the warm temps came the front end of the spring fishing crowds but a little leg work afforded me some solitude. It wasn't without effort but what started out as a bust turned into a refreshing day on the river with some very interesting critters to hand. I'm hoping the changing of the weather guard will muster up some inspiration but to be quite honest it's been a challenge lately to find the gumption to put pen to paper. I think it's a natural progression and I have certainly been here before but each time this funk arises I seem to dive a little deeper into the abyss. I liberated once of my collectables recently and the possibility of replacing it has ignited a small flame. My Instagram account has taken off and also fueled some ambition to get out there and capture some images. I have obtained some amazing new sponsors over the winter season that like my others I can stand behind without compromise. The Alaska trip is looming on the horizon and will certainly finish off the season on a high note before my Summer hiatus. Piscatorially I'm blessed but getting tired. Hoping a few well timed trips, some new acquaintances, and some old will get it all going again...