More on fishing....

Some people just don't 'get' fishing. They picture a fat guy with a mullet sitting in a lawn chair next to a cooler of beer, with a freeway on one side and a polluted, trash covered, duck poop laden pond on the other. Then he sits there for hours on end drinking beer and staring at his little red and white bobber wondering if his little worm is still there.

But there is so much more to fishing than you or even I can imagine. It's a unique experience for each individual.

Fishing is an active sport in my view. Sure, I'll sit back and relax at times, usually when fishing with others. But when I'm on my own, it's a completely different experience. I'm exploring new places, white water rafting to get from spot to spot, hiking down hazardous fisherman's 'trails', enjoying the wildlife, breathing fresh air, pushing and challenging myself each time out.

There's quite a science and 'geeky' side to it too. Entomology (study of bugs) is essential if you are a fly fisherman like me. A well rounded understanding of the environment and various ecosystems is also critical to success. To be consistently productive (catching fish) you have to know what to use, when, where, and under what conditions. Sometimes the challenge is just finding the fish. Other times you've found them, but you have to figure out what they are feeding on.

There there are those nice quiet mornings where I'm just enjoying the quiet solitude of my favorite river, wondering in God's glorious creation, taking it all in, getting lost in the rhythm of my fly casting as I work my way down a run - only to have my rod nearly ripped from my fingers by a powerful salmon or steelhead that is instantly jumping and flipping as my heart skips a few beats and the adrenaline rush kicks in.

But you're still saying "I don't get it". That's fine. I'll just post a few pics over the next few days and maybe you'll come around. If nothing else, you'll lose that image of "fat mullet guy in lawn chair" when you next think of fishing... ;)