The 2005 fly fishing season ended for me right where it began, on the Salmon River in New York. With finger tips so cold they burn. I was sure there could be nothing in the universe any colder, then I remember my toes. When it is this cold it is hard to concentrate on the drift you are trying to present to the steelhead you are so sure are waiting in the run you are working. To help keep focused I found it helpful on this New Years weekend to recall my fly fishing adventures of the year. For me there was more fly fishing in 2005 then any other time in my life. I fly fished more places, more methods, and for more species then ever before. I fly fished with old friends, new friends, and on my own. I traveled a couple of miles from home at times and other times several hundred miles were driven before a fly rod was rigged. Some days the weather challenged my desire to fly fish. Torrential rains, gale winds or freezing temperatures all played a roll. On days when the weather was spectacular it gave me a greater appreciation for the pastime I have come to enjoy so much. There were so many laughs and so much knowledge gained on every fly fishing trip. I found myself always craving the next chance to get on the water. There is no high speed video or photos of me with landed fish to accompany this year end article. This was one of those trips where it just didn’t work out for me. There are those trips but fortunately not many go that way. As winter tightens its grip and we sit around to chew the fat I will visit the archived fish tales and replay in my mind each catch that got recorded. I want to wish all members and visitors of Flies and Fins a Happy New Year. Thank you for so many great memories.
hey pat,
as they say, “it’s not all about the catching.” ….. yeah right…. i prefer to be a little more honest with myself. “catching” certainly makes it more fun for me…if it didn’t…we would just be hikers or canoers or bird watchers – why bring a fly rod. don’t get me wrong – i love the beautiful water and landscapes and all that fluffy stuff…but i REALLY like the feel of a steelhead tearing line off my reel. i know you feel the same. with that said, i often go fly fishing and come back having landed nothing and like you said – it only enhances the times when the opposite is true… however, you did not get “skunked” — if i recall you hooked a big steelhead but it got off and you landed a big brown trout. sorry that i was on the other side of the river when that brown trout was landed …. but i swear i could see a huge smile on your face when the rod was bent over. i thought it was a smile…but then again… maybe it was just your face muscles reacting to the pain in your freezing cold feet that were causing agonizing pain with every step in the icy cold river….
hopefully – 2006 brings you to even more places and is filled with even more time on the water. good luck in 2006 pat.
vince lombardi said “if it is not about winning why do they keep score?” I feel the same way about fishing. If it is not about catching fish why go? I know I won’t win every game but I sure as hell intend to show up to play every time. thanks for all the fishing experiences this year, you have been a lot of fun. i hope 06 finds us on several trips together. we can even bring the swab along.
Pat, one can purchase gloves now for the purpose of staying warm, also available are socks for just this activity. Good article Pat and nice photo. The winter is young and one more trip may do the trick.
Pat, Here is a thought.. Why don’t we ask the state of Maine why we have to go to places like NY to fly fish.. Why can’t we get cold feet at home! Why do all the ice drinker get to catch our fish and why are all the fly fisherman having to travel to enjoy our sport? Mabe with sites like this (we as a group )can shead light on our passion and get the fish and game laws changed! I was told all we need is an interest and the laws could be changed. I for one would love to fly fish some of my home rivers this winter but… Oh well mabe 2007. Love the quote!! Keep on fishing Joe-m
joe-m,
i agree with you entirely…would be nice if our state kept some more winter water open for fly fishing. seems to me like things close super early — sometimes just when things start getting good. then i gotta go to other states.
on more tiny note:
i am not much of a “politics” kinda guy. in other words, i don’t know all the little rules and regulations and loop holes in the system and all of the politically based reasons for why certain things are the way they are. frankly i don’t really care to. all i really want to do is fly fish. i don’t keep any fish – so i could care less about daily limit type stuff. i don’t target warm water species and don’t really care to. so basically what we are talking about is very simple. and, i know exactly what joe-m and others are looking for:
1. the ability for fly fishermen to fly fish in the same rivers that they enjoy year round. catch and release only.
—> now, maybe i am an idiot and for some political/scientific reason this is not possible. in which case, that is fine – we just leave things the way they are. it just makes me wonder when i go out west in the winter (california, nevada, utah..etcc.) why all of those rivers are open? and the fly fishing is, in fact, very good at those times of year. i can not help to wonder — “geeze, i wanter what xyz spot in Maine would be like right now. would be nice if i could get home and try it.”
oh well – you guys get the point. AGAIN – i am not a big political activist or a biologist or a game warden or a politician….AND i personally have no desire to discuss the ins and outs of all the laws and all that political stuff.. i just want to be a “user” and NOT a “developer” – i just want to pay for my license and fly fish where they tell me i can.
—> it’s kinda like software…in the case of fly fishing I just want to be a user – not a developer. however, much software functionality is developed around user feedback and user requests. in many instances the developers say – “no way” and other other instances the developers say “geeze, that would not be so hard to do” — hence application like yahoo mail, microsoft word, excel, adobe and the billions of other programs start to mirror and blend developer capabilities with the needs of the users.
I CAN NOT EMPHASISE ENOUGH THAT I AM NOT A FINATICAL TYPE LOBBYIST AND I GET NO ENJOYMENT OVER HAGGLING OVER THE LOOP HOLES AND ALL THE REASONS WHY AND ALL THAT STUFF. I KNOW, THAT IN MAINE, DISCUSSIONS OF THOSE NATURE CAN GET HEATED AND ALL THAT STUFF AND I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO DESIRE TO GET INVOLVED AT THAT LEVEL. ALL I AM SAYING, AS A FLY FISHING USER IS – “WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE MORE YEAR ROUND WATER AVAILABLE TO US?” A SIMPLE YES OR NO WILL SUFFICE. EITHER WAY, I WILL JUST CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE RULES THAT THE DEVELOPERS MAKE.
Joe-m,
Wouldn’t it be great to fish here. It would also be nice to have a fishery like the steelhead in New York.
I would think an organization like trout unlimited would be the ones to petition the state to open things up.
happy new year to you.