Wow, four months since the last time I was on the water. It was 96 degrees that day and was the week before I flew out with the YakAngler crew to film Outdoor Retailer in Utah. It was a balmy 35 degrees this morning at the drop in. It's crazy how involved I am in the kayak fishing world on a daily basis in some form or another, but can't get to the water to actually do it. Work has been crazy and it's been tough to find time to break free and fish. When I do, my list of honey do's are usually more demanding of me than running to the river.
But today, was my day.
The fog was still thick while dropping my kids off at their school, and remained with me throughout the 25 mile drive to the drop in. I was very much prepared for the temperatures and layered with more than I needed. My only thought while I was about to cast off, was hoping my mag 2 waders were still in tip top shape since I haven't used them since last March. I figured i'd find out soon enough if there happened to be a hole somewhere I couldn't see.
Despite the cool temps, everything around me was alive and gorgeous. There was no wind, and I could hear all the sounds of the river. The squirrels were yappin' at each other and the birds were singing from a distance, while that lone woodpecker followed me from tree to tree to tree to tree...yes, it was my constant companion the entire trip, the...entire...trip. lol. But the fall colors were an awesome sight to see, and I soaked in every minute of it.
The river was up a few inches from last time I was here, which made fewer times I had to get out and drag. Fortunately, my waders were still going strong and there weren't any surprised, high pitched squeals when entering deeper water. There was still plenty of getting in and out, but pretty easy for the most part.
The fishing was slow, but still great most the morning. A total of seven made it in the yak. I decided today not to bring all my camera/video gear, tripod, etc, and just focus on fishing. It's odd for me to do just that because I always have a ton of projects that need to be finished for both myself and other folks in the fishing/flyfishing/rod building world. I just knew I needed to get that fix, then I can get back to the work part of being on the river. Of course, it's not work when you're passionate about what you do, so it's all good.
One of the many reasons I gravitate towards the river is all the beautiful things that are there waiting to be noticed.
From the colors...
To the sometimes strange...
To the admiration of a new reel...
To even just turning around and seeing your yak waiting for your return.
Besides my family, there's nothing better in life than this. And nowhere else i'd rather be. It's apart of who I am, and in turn, helps me grow as a father, fisherman, and friend.
Jeez, I need to go fishing more, it's startin' to get a little thick in here. lol
Thanks for coming along,
Scott