In hindsight, my decision was somewhat ass-backwards, but as the years advance one of life inevitabilities is simply clear: tired is tired! I fished hard under Thursday’s hot sunshine, hoping against hope for a similar day long affair with sparse sulfurs and picky risers. I knew better, but enthusiasm sometimes trumps cold, hard judgment.
Come Friday morning it was easy to accept the thunderstorms throughout the day forecast and elect to make a rest stop. I tied a few flies that my morning fishing hadn’t allowed time for, repaired my cut fly line, loaded up a new number four line on a St. George reel after casting that same line on the Sweetgrass Pent, ran several errands, and cut my grass and a neighbor’s. Doesn’t sound like a day off, does it? It was though a fishing rest, time for my aching casting arm and shoulder to recover a bit.
The price paid will never be known of course, for the storms never appeared and the cloudy day ended up cooler and more inviting to mayflies and rising trout, in short, a day I should have spent on the river.
I had planned to take care of that shoulder over the winter, but spending more than three months battling a persistent case of bronchitis truly sapped my energy. The net result was far less winter exercise rather than more. I have resigned myself to the fact that the shoulder is going to require a day off here and there. I don’t like it, but I accept it.
I did get my travel kit set for today’s visit to the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum as this week’s Saturday Guest Fly Tyer. I will get some more sulfurs tied – I need size 18 100-Year Duns if the light is good.
There is a Guild meeting next door that I won’t be able to attend, though hopefully some of my friends will stop in afterwards. We will all be tying sulfurs and terrestrials, so we’ll be connected in spirit.
Bright Waters Catskill 