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| First Fish of 2018! |
Today is May the Fourth, Star Wars Day, and if I was really awesome now, I'd write a blog full of wonderfully nerdy Star Wars puns or comments. But instead, I'm writing about fishing...packing for fishing actually.
My brother-in-law and I have been fly fishing and hiking mountains quite a bit the past five years and we are sneaking out Friday evening to Buena Vista to fish the storied "Mother's Day Caddis Hatch" on the Arkansas River. While it's still a week before Mother's Day (friendly reminder to those you with a mother or two...I have three of my own to consider, plus my wife, who is also a mother) the hatch is on and we are gonna go fish it Saturday and then drive home.
Like many of our excursions, we smartly put the date on the calendar weeks or months in advance, but then dumbly, call each other last minute to make sure we're still going and try to figure out what to pack. We've both forgotten important things in the past: Waders, food, coffee mug, glasses, wading boots, reels...you name it. We always find a way to muddle through and have a good time. Below is a list of what I made sure to throw in bags and put on the hood of my car for tomorrow.
The List - Hurriedly assembled and likely missing something important:
- Fishing rods
- Reels
- Fly boxes
- Fishing vest and current fishing license
- Fishing Boots - Forgot those once and had to buy new ones at a store in a nearby town. Cost us some fishing time, were too expensive, and were a guilty pleasure of a purchase since my old ones were...old and cramped my toes.
- Flies for the river - I ran up to my fly tying desk and found about four dozen flies I had tied over the winter, many just perfect for this trip. A few caddis, a bunch of blue winged olives, Adams, beadhead pheasant tails, and a variety of midges and other odds and ends. Maybe I won't have to buy flies at the fly shop Saturday morning.
- Reading glasses - I've never used reading glasses to tie flies on my lines but I did buy them to tie the flies this winter. Damian (my BIL) said he was bringing his (for the first time), and since he's younger than me by a couple of years, I guess I can bring mine. I did have more trouble than I like to admit, last month while trying to ties on a few flies. Old is silly but at least I'm going fishing!
- Sunscreen, winter hat, baseball hat with dark brim to keep the river glare off my face.
- Sleeping bag and pads. We are going to just camp in the back of his pickup truck and it will be chilly.
- A small bag of clothes for Saturday, plus a couple layers of jackets and toiletries. I need to remember to pack my glasses in the morning, after putting my contacts in. I've forgotten glasses and that makes for long days with dry eyes or really blurry evenings.
- Coffee mug (phew, found in car)...luckily near my sunglasses which I will need too.
- Lies and stories to tell for the ride and during breaks (I'm always full of those).
- Not bringing food, my daypack, survival gear.
I think I'm ready! I know I will forget something but I will be in a river, waving a stick Saturday, and there are way worse things than that. And in case you're wondering, I release my fish back into the river, with the hopes of catching them the next year when they are even bigger!
Below are a few pictures from previous fishing trips, mostly taken by my brother-in-law. I'd include pictures of him with fish...but maybe there aren't any! Burn!
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| 22" Bow near Lake City two years ago |
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| My worst fishing injury, just after landing the fish to the left. Luckily I had cut the barb off and it came out easily. |
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| Nice brown trout on the Arkansas last year |
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| Another brown on the Ark! |
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| My brother-in-law capturing the amazing morning on Uncompahgre Peak two years ago. |
That sounds like a, lot of fun. Ive never been fishing, but it looks cool. Forgetting things is definitely a problem of mine as well.
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