Back to the Pond

On Saturday, I noticed there was a large group gathered at the trout stream and so I suggested to the Chief that we head back to our secret pond on Sunday. I told him that I felt like with the abating heat over the last couple of weeks, the water should have cooled down and that the conditions would be favorable to catching some decent bass. D went along to observe and play in the pool, but she didn't even bother to take a rod.

A Solitary Saturday

Everyone occasionally needs some alone time, and Saturday proved perfect for me. Both D and the Chief had to work, so I took the opportunity to hit the trout stream free from any frustrating influences.

A Brief Escape

D and I had nothing to do tonight and several of hours of daylight left, so I suggested we hit the trout stream. She packed some snacks, we loaded the truck, and headed south, Thursday.

Trout on my Mind

During one of my visits to the White River Fly Shop in the last month, a fellow patron struck up a conversation with me about the kinds of fishing we did. While I have been chasing smallmouth, he was almost exclusively devoted to trout. When I told him that I had never been fishing for trout, he said don't ever stop. It has a way of being addicting. I now understand exactly what he was talking about.

I also now better understand a comment a friend made a few months ago. The Saturday after Dad and I first went, we ran into Bobby at a mutual friend's seventieth birthday party. Knowing Bobby was an experienced, "serious" fisher, I decided to ping him for some tips and perhaps gain a bit of insider knowledge to tying flies. Bobby's advice: "Don't start."

Well, I really didn't understand what he was saying at the time, and it was already too late for that matter. Now that I have been I few times, I finally get it.

Trout

Well, you may have thought that like many nascent bloggers, I had bored quickly and let this die. As a matter of fact, I had to make a brief visit to the Left Coast for a few days and didn't have a chance to do any fishing. I talked quite a bit about it, and my friend Critter sent me home with a new vise, quite a few tools, and a load of material. It occupied half of my checked bag, which means it really was quite a bit. I am looking forward to going through it all and telling you what I have done with it.

At any rate, while I was gone, all I could do was think about fishing when I returned. Turns out the weather differential was enough that I developed something like hay fever. By the time I got off the plane Monday evening, I was whipped. I'll never fly again congested.

Tuesday morning, I couldn't sleep, eat, talk, work or think. I just suffered through most of the day. Finally, I decided I might go fishing, that some exposure to the outdoors would be good for me. So I loaded my gear and decided to head for the nearest trout stream.

Drop Fishing and Cat Fishing

When I was in high school, I and Klingledingle used to go over to our friend Dave Nolastname's (at last check, he was in Air Force special operations) house and we would fish for catfish in the family pond. We never caught any, but it was a convenient excuse to stay out late at night. I have often reminisced with friends and family about how much I enjoyed those opportunities.

Tying with the Chief and Snake Doctor

We added to our circle sort of tonight. My two-year-old nephew "Snake Doctor" is staying over so that Black Sheep and my sister can enjoy some alone time. I'm planning to hit the water tonight and headed out to tie some flies. After a few minutes, the Chief and Snake Doctor joined me. We gathered three stools around the tying bench, the Chief and I each had a Sam, and the little one had a Mott's apple juice. We posed for a picture, and then turned our attention to tying flies.

REVIEW: Vise/Tool Kit

D wanted to start tying flies with me. Since we had most of the material to get started, we simply needed the basic tools: vice, bobbin, needle, (I wanted a) threader, and scissors. After perusing the individual items at Bass Pro Shops, I decided it was in our best interest to buy a set, the Vise/Tool Kit.

Tuesday, New Rod, New Reel, More Fish

Since the Chief's back was bothering him, we delayed our outing to Tuesday evening. It was an opportunity to really spend some time with the new gear and to do a bit of studying. There were no keepers, but we did catch some fish. D chose to go swimming instead, and I am not sure I would not have been better off doing the same thing. The temps are still hot, and the fish just are not that active. For the first couple of hours, I was seriously wondering if I was going to be able to catch anything.

REVIEW: White River Fly Shop® Fly Tying Kit - Bass Tying

As mentioned in an earlier post, D bought me a White River Fly Shop® Fly Tying Kit - Bass Tying package, so that I could begin learning to tie flies. Now that I have been through it, I thought I would give you a bit of a review.

An Anniversary, A Start, and a Tryout

So yesterday, July 31, D and I celebrated our seventh anniversary. I wanted to go fishing, but because the Chief's back was hurting, it didn't look to be in the cards. D and I instead settled for tying some flies together and we found a few surprises along the way.

Lightening My Wallet Eased the Back Pain

As we came into the weekend, Dad's back was hurting a bit too much, and he wanted to wait a couple of days before we headed out again. I suggested perhaps we head to Bass Pro Shops, and he readily agreed. So off to Indiana we headed with D.

Just the Three of Us

Well the Chief and I headed out with D for another day of fishing the following Sunday. Thanks to the persistent heat, the water was scorching and the day started slow. But it ended on a high note.

Makes You Think

I've been looking at equipment online today, and decided to take a break. I thought I would look for some quotes on fly fishing, only to discover this article. It almost made me cry, knowing how grateful I am that the Chief and I are fishing together regularly. Take a look.

Fishing with Dad by Chuck Bailey