Thursday, September 14, 2006

Sticks and Stones

That is all I could catch when we were fishing Monday. First it was underwater sticks, called snags, that are part of the brush poking out from the shore. Fish like to hide in the deep shadows created by this overhaning thatch. Next, my fly got caught under a stone! The creek water is quite low this time of year so it is easy to get snagged up on EVERYTHING! Fortunately, I was wearing my new waders and man-styled wading boots, so I could just wade out into the rushing water and stick my arm into the deep, cold, dark water and feel around for the little fly....it was a little scary; what if something bit me! The next snaggy frustration was when I cast a little too exhuberantly and caught the overhead trees; that happened several times - sigh. I finally came to the conclusion that all the fish had gone south for the winter, and announced to Dave that I was going home. I don't think he had any nibbles that day either.

Yesterday we rented a metal fishing boat (can you believe it?!) and rowed out onto a private lake at a resort ranch called Elk Run Ranch. It is a gorgeous, and serene place. This day however, there was a lot of wind. We would row into the middle of the lake, pond really, and in 5 minutes the wind had blown the boat right up onto one shore. We would row out again and in another 5 minutes the wind had changed and had blown us up against the opposing shore! Rowing a boat is challenging in itself. Having never done it before, I found it easy to row in a circle - I guess my right arm is stronger than my left. Also if you're not sitting right in the middle of the seat you tend to row to the nearer side. It was the source of much mirthful derision from my dovoted husband, who fancies himself an accomplished rower.

There was also the complicating factor of rowing into the wind, or with the wind - both cause the boat to react differently. THEN there was casting into the wind, which doesn't work very well; or casting with the wind, which works well except that the boat swiftly glides right over the top of the line.

We are just learning to fly fish remember, and our flies don't always end up where we will them to...once my fly wrapped itself around Dave's outstretched line just as a fish took his line. He was unable to reel any line in; I couldn't get my fly untangled; we were crashing around and rocking
the boat, the wind was threatening to unseat my Tilly hat - it was a three stooges moment!

The pond was also full of tall and thickly tangled underwater plants into which fish immediately dive when they realize their yummy snack isn't yielding to their bite. That was challenging. We did hook many fish and learned a lot about unhooking them while hanging over the side of the boat - chiefly, that fish wiggle incessantly, are exceedingly slippery and needlenose pliers don't float! It is also helpful if both persons are not leaning over the same side of the boat at the same time....another stooge moment.

As the afternoon waned; the sun began to slant through the smokey sky and cast sparkles across the ripples on the lake and the fish began rising to our flies. They would hit the fly just as it touched the water. They jumped right out of the water, took the fly and put up a pretty good tussle as we reeled them in - that must be what fly fishing is all about.

1 comment:

H said...

Brilliant. What an adventurous little life you have found yourself in. You guys deserve this so much! Love you and miss you like the crazy woman I am.