The official start time was 8:00 a.m. and fishermen had already claimed their spots well before then, on a very welcoming piece of property. A big campfire had been burning for some time alongside the river as a gathering spot for those anglers who choose to stop by and rest a while for warm camaradarie in a peaceful setting. Firecrackers signaled the appointed time and fog draped over the river as the first casts were drawn.
I find it awesome that this sport is shared by many generations, such as this father and his sons.
As well as with this seasoned gentleman who aptly made his way from walking in the sunlight to wading in a shady spot in the river.
One of the things I enjoyed about today were the stories some of the fishermen shared with me about their experiences on the river, like how this one man I met today caught the biggest fish of his life--a 25" rainbow trout--with the first cast taken just after he and his friend (the owner of this property) saved the life of an elderly fisherman who was drowning in the river last year. "A gift from God", as he put it.
Many folks, like these two guys, enjoy taking a break to catch up with friends and 'regulars' to this fishing spot.
...or to sit by the fire to tie on a fly or lure.... a fire which later boasted delicious grilled venison steaks.
It doesn't matter to fishermen if they actually catch fish or not; the many qualitive benefits of spending time on the river is what does the soul good, as any fisherman attests to. Several of them mentioned it to me today.
This guy did catch some. He had a few trout hanging on a chain under the water, that I happened to catch him pull up for a moment.
This lady hadn't been that lucky yet. But she did have the thrill, she told me, of seeing a woodpecker pecking the tree that I was standing against, just two minutes before I got there.
Bait and tackle.
A stood for some time and watched this fly fisherman skillfully casting his line.
My husband caught several trout--saving two of them that I gladly cooked for our lunch!
We returned to the same river after our lunch, only this time around 12 miles away from our morning spot.
Lots of waterfowl greeted us when we arrived, before flying off and leaving us to do our thing.
My husband caught and released several more fish this afternoon in this new spot.
His spinning reel in action.
This final image is of turtles sunning themselves on the bank of a pond we passed on our way home. This was just one small part of about at least 60 turtles that we saw! They were everywhere! A perfect ending to a perfect day.
No comments:
Post a Comment