Sounds of Fly Fishing

It was a busy week and I didn't get a post written on Sunday.  I'm trying to keep writing every week so while this may be "mailing it in," here are some of my favorites from on the Sounds of Fly Fishing section in Peter Kaminsky's "The Fly Fisherman's Guide to the Meaning of Life ."  I hope you can appreciate these sections as much as I do.  I would highly recommend reading the whole book.

Running Water
Burbling brook, running stream, crashing surf, rushing tide - there is music in water.  Each one an overture, a promise (or at least the possibility) of fish on the rise, on the feed, ready to take.  The primal moment for me is walking through the woods and first hearing the low susurrus, the faint whisper of running water in the distance, still so far of that it could be a stream or it could be the wind.  Then - yes! - there is no mistaking the gentle babbling of water flowing over stones, soft as a lullaby, exciting as fireworks.

Barbaric Yawps
A sound arises when the fish are hitting - doesn't matter what kind, could be bluefish, striped bass, albacore, yellowfin, weakfish  Then this happens, when a whole bunch of fish throw cautions to the winds (actually, they throw it to the waves) and pounce on a bait school, sometimes there is a group of anglers ready and waiting.  First one angler connects with a high "Yippee!" then a couple more let fly with joyful unprintables, then every boat and every angler on the shore is screaming, yahooing, giving conflicting shouted directives, whistling, cursing a blue streak.  It all blends in to one happy shout, a group yell of pure pleasure.

"Daddy, What do I do now"
A child not catching fish is a bored child, one not very likely to share Daddy's passion.  Ah, but then a fish hits.  You hear a squeak and a laugh, followed by the realization that "Ohmygod, this thing is for real and it wants to fight me!"  At that point, your child is hooked on fishing and the plea for help and advice confirms this and swells a father's heart.  I would be lying if I said I enjoy it more than catching a fish myself, but almost.

Silence
Yes, there is a sound to silence.  If you don't believe me, listen to the stillness before dawn on a Montana creek, the quiet when the wind dies on  Florida Bay as the sun sinks.  There i the total absence of sound on the lakes of central Finland in the middle of the short Arctic night, the quiet when a wind-driven squall has rushed across a stream followed by the steamy stillness of the return of humid sumer heat.  The world is full of sound over sound.  To experience silence is to appreciate both sound and its absence.  You feel part of the world - like the whole world or perhaps the only person in it.

When Wading Boots Become Necessary

Last weekend the lack of foot wear that you could walk into the water with cost me landing a couple of nice trout.  In one case my dad couldn't get close enough to the fish to get it in the net before he got free.  In the other I couldn't find a spot to get close enough to the water to get the fish in the net.  As I was packing up all my gear I had decided it was time for me to get some wading boots.

It wouldn't have been possible for me to give you a personal review of every available boot on the market.  And even if it had been possible, I'm hardly expert enough for my opinion to be of much weight.  I think the best way for you to get reviews of specific boots will be to visit the reviews of as many online realtors as you have time for.  But here is what some online research found.

If you're looking for wading boots you have a lot more options that when we grabbed an old pair of tennis shoes as kids.  I found $20 synthetic leather boots from RedHead and $200 Korkers with quick-change soles.  Regardless of your price range, the first choice you have to make is whether to get felt or rubber soles.  Felt soles are by far the best choice to avoid slipping on rocks.  But with rock snot creeping in everywhere, even if your state hasn't banned felt soles, more and more fishing areas are forbidding felt soles.  I've only worn wading boots on one fishing trip and they had felt soles.  Given the choice, and the funds, I would buy a pair of felt soles as well as a pair of rubber soles.  Anywhere that felt soles are allowed I would wear them and then wear the rubber soles anywhere else.  But not having the choice, or the funds, rubber soles it is.

The next choice is that of laces.  The latest type of lacing available is the BOA lacing system.  Your "laces" are actually steel wire wrapped through the eyelets and into a twist knob.  Put the boots on and twist the knob until the boots are tight.  Pull the knob out and the laces loosen.  From the reading I did this week, people love using them but are concerned about them breaking when they're miles from their vehicle.  From what I've seen of pricing, you can expect to pay at least $20 more for BOA lacing on equivalent boots.  For me, I'll stick with normal laces.

Price is always an issue.  I wanted a little more quality than $20 RedHead boots.  But I didn't want to spend $200 on boots that I would only be using occasionally.  I found a pretty good compromise.  I don't know how long the sale will last but Cabela's has their Guidewear wading boots on sale for $89.99 from $139.99.   They should be on their way to me now.  I hope to take them out for a spin in a few weeks.  I'll let you know how they work out.

Next on my list of equipment is a new set of waders.  I currently have a set of neoprene bootfoot waders that were given to me when my brother-in-law got a new set for himself.  Now that I have wading boots I need to get some stockingfoot waders to use them with.  If you have any suggestions let me know.

Fly Fishing Exile Ended

This weekend I was able to go fly fishing for the first time in over a year.  It has seemed like even longer since on the most recent fishing trip prior to this weekend all I had caught was a rock.  And to top the trip off, they guys in my family were springing for it for my birthday. The guys took me to Westover Farms in Steeleville, MO.  This was the last place I had had any success fly fishing so I have been really anticipating the trip. I wrote about my last trip to Westover Farms here and have some pictures of the grounds here.  We fished Friday afternoon, spent the night at one of their cabins, and fished again on Saturday morning. It was a great weekend.

Get Tied Up in Knots

My fishing trip is set for next weekend and I almost forgot an important part of getting ready, making sure I know how to tie my knots.  It seems silly, but before every fishing trip I go on I always sit down and give myself a refresher on the knots I'll need to use.  I say it seems silly, but one trip I wasted 45 minutes trying to remember how to tie a perfection loop on a new leader.  You can read about that experience here.  Since that trip I always make sure I remember two basic knots before I go fishing.