Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Shortening the Distances: Friendships In Fly Fishing


    There is no hiding it; I often feel and speak of the distances in life. Yet there is nothing like fishing with friends on the river to ease the loneliness of life.

    Often people will say to me, "You are too deep," or, "You think too much," which only makes me feel more distance and feel more alone. Those casts do not reach me.

    Yet sometimes, someone will throw me a different kind of cast;  a short, simple and direct kind of cast, similar to the back-hand cast needed to gently place the fly in front of  the large rainbow right in front of us, sipping midges. That kind of a cast speaks to me and shortens the distances. This is not a power cast but it is truthful and direct and on target.

     A little while back, I was complaining to my friend Earl about these distances. He patiently listened and waited; and then said to me, "You know Anthony, you are really not all that deep. I think we are all in the same place."

     Wow! I repeated his words."I am not all that deep. We are all in the same place." I thought about his comment for a while and realized how that cast reached me. Distances were shortened in my heart.

     Throughout the morning, many more casts were made connecting Rainbows, Browns and friends together.

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Dream Stream Salmon

I really have not been fishing a whole lot for the Salmon. I pay attention to what my friends are telling me. People are walking the river and sometimes seeing stretches with nothing and then, all of a sudden there is a whole school of them and the water looks red.

And red seems to be the color for flies: Red copper Johns, San Juan's, midges and eggs.  Dead drift is the usual technique with lots of weight.

Monday, September 4, 2017

Southern Gentleman Respectively Makes Great Catch At Deckers South Platte River

My client, from Georgia, had a great morning on the South Platte at Deckers landing numerous trout from 14-19 inches. He did not count them or measure them. He was a perfect gentleman. It was a perfect morning.