Cold Weather & Big Bows

I was more than comfy cozy, all curled up with my favorite 4-legged buddies, dreaming of unicorns and large pots of gold when I heard the obnoxious beeping of the alarm clock.  I hit snooze once, twice, three times:  It was 4:45am and the weather app on my phone said it was 28 degrees. A four letter word my Mother taught me not to use slipped off my tongue.  I contemplate cancelling. My alarm beeps a fourth time and with an overly dramatic sigh, I climb out of bed.  I scold myself for not setting the coffee pot timer and pray the coffee brews faster today. 

As the coffee percolates, I slowly put on one layer, then a second.  I add a third layer because I know I can get cold in the middle of a heat wave. For good measure, I pack a fourth layer in my pack.  My coffee is ready and I immediately feel like life is being pumped back into me. Thank you Coffee Gods, thank you.

Layered and caffeinated up, I was ready to go fishing!

The closer I got to the river, the more anxious I got. I was fishing with a guy that knew what he was doing; I barely just figured out how to set up a proper nymph rig! The high for the day was expected to be 31 degrees, and I’m known to be a big baby when it comes to the cold. It would be an adventure.

We hoofed it quite a ways down the river and I tried my best to be a tough girl and not complain about the cold.  Rigged up with a San Juan worm and an egg, I was ready to go!  I wanted a fish!  Right now!!!

And fish I got!!!  I started the day out with my first kokanee!  I would have had 3-4 if I could set my hook quicker, or as my friend teased, “stop setting like a girl.” I foul hooked a sucker fish in the belly, and felt terrible because I was so worried I might have hurt him.  Again, my friend kindly pointed out I was being a “weenie”.  It was trout after trout after trout!  Between the two of us, we easily had 20 trout that day.  The biggest (caught by me) was a healthy fat 21inch rainbow hen and the smallest (caught by the ‘pro’) was a 3” brown!  I LOVE the feel of the weight on the line, even if I say “it’s heavy” and giggle like a school girl… nothing beats it!

As I crawled back into my bed that evening, exhausted, haggard, and with smiles for miles; I couldn’t stop looking at my new “fish porn”.  Its funny how I gripe about getting up at 7am to go to work, but I’m anxiously awaiting my next 4:45am ‘fish alarm’. 

That day on the river, I felt as though I was finally getting “it”.  I know I still have plenty of lessons ahead of me and techniques to practice, figure out, and new ones to learn. But that was my day.  It wasn’t even until I got back to the car that I realized I was shivering from the cold and my hands were chapped and frozen! But, at least for one day, it all came together and reminded me, yet again, why I fly fish! 

Tight Lines!