Fishing by Word and Thought
I have been stranded here in the desert coast of Southern California for more than a month and probably have three weeks of a death penalty trial to go. My wife is recovering steadily from her surgery and my trial has begun. It is the old "light at the end of the tunnel".
While there is lots of ocean water, there is no real trout stream within three or four hours. One early Sunday morning, I did see a pair of dolphins "rise" several times at Dana Point Harbor. I would not dare throw flies at a mammal. I am not feeling sorry for myself because I know my fellow North Arkansas Club mates are not better off. In fact, it must be torture to watch those rivers and know trout are hiding in that rushing water.
To compensate, I drove up to Marriott's Fly Fishing Store yesterday. It is one of the largest retail fly-fishing shops in the country. I walked around and touched rods, reels, tippet spools, Orvis shirts and Simms wading shoes. It was not actually fishing but it was a connection. I saw a fishing friend there and we commiserated about this dry spell.
I did take a few casts with a "demo" rod and found something like my stroke after four or five throws. Maybe, it's something like remembering how to ride a bicycle.
On the long ride back, I imagined standing knee deep in my favorite spot throwing my size 24 Parachute Adams and mending towards the ring of a healthy trout sipping midges. When this scene actually happens again (and it will), I will be thankful and reflect on how important this personal ritual is to my well being. In that balance between doing things for your family, for your community and for yourself, I choose that "knee deep" activity to soothe my aging soul.
I have two infant grandchildren and a third expected in mid January. My wish is that I will be able to introduce them to fishing and eventually to fly-fishing. What a way to spend my "last cast".
No fishing advice, no big fish stories, just fishing with words.
George Peters
President
While there is lots of ocean water, there is no real trout stream within three or four hours. One early Sunday morning, I did see a pair of dolphins "rise" several times at Dana Point Harbor. I would not dare throw flies at a mammal. I am not feeling sorry for myself because I know my fellow North Arkansas Club mates are not better off. In fact, it must be torture to watch those rivers and know trout are hiding in that rushing water.
To compensate, I drove up to Marriott's Fly Fishing Store yesterday. It is one of the largest retail fly-fishing shops in the country. I walked around and touched rods, reels, tippet spools, Orvis shirts and Simms wading shoes. It was not actually fishing but it was a connection. I saw a fishing friend there and we commiserated about this dry spell.
I did take a few casts with a "demo" rod and found something like my stroke after four or five throws. Maybe, it's something like remembering how to ride a bicycle.
On the long ride back, I imagined standing knee deep in my favorite spot throwing my size 24 Parachute Adams and mending towards the ring of a healthy trout sipping midges. When this scene actually happens again (and it will), I will be thankful and reflect on how important this personal ritual is to my well being. In that balance between doing things for your family, for your community and for yourself, I choose that "knee deep" activity to soothe my aging soul.
I have two infant grandchildren and a third expected in mid January. My wish is that I will be able to introduce them to fishing and eventually to fly-fishing. What a way to spend my "last cast".
No fishing advice, no big fish stories, just fishing with words.
George Peters
President
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August President's Message
