A day away.

4:30 am, cold outside. As I rummage through my cold weather gear to find the appropriate layers to keep me on the water, I cant do anything but smile...Im going to stand in water when it is 27 degrees outside and I am so damn excited, I cant wait!! Truck is packed...truck is always packed..

5:30 am, wife is getting ready to walk out the door for school/work.

6:15 am, wake up the kids and get them off to school.

7:00 am, Alone... in the truck at the McDonalds drive thru for a coffee, out of the parking lot and on to I-75 heading North to the river.

7:53 am, As I step out of the truck to face the wind on my cheeks, the aroma of the finally ready to drink coffee (what the hell McD's...cool it down) fill the space between the open truck door and the great outdoors. I slip my legs into the waders, I put on my backpack and my SIMMS chestpack and get ready to unleash the beast from her tube of solitude. I construct it piece by piece until it becomes the perfect 9'6" fish tamer that im sure is gonna make this day all I have imagined it as.
guide by guide I thread the line through and always checking that all guides are in line because you know that ya just cant give those a little turn to correct em on the water.. I cut my tippet and tie on the most perfect length I can ever remember tying....and now its time....."THE GLO BUG"....I choose an orange on this morning and I know it will be perfect... A short walk down to the bridge...down the bank and I am home..

As I walk upstream to my first run I move two Salmon. As they rush by me, I notice there Zomble like flesh and know the Steel are home. My first cast is right OFF target and into the rocks...Nobody saw it so it never happened...... but the second more delicate cast is a perfect tight loop that drops the egg in the exact ripple I was looking at while in my back cast and the day really begins. Witha a little mend I feel the unmistakable tap,tap,tap..and I set.... No it isnt a Steel but it is a hefty Rainbow who give my first..(cough,cough..)cast a return with a deep bend in the rod and a reason to unhook the net from my pack..

The bend in the rod was the theme of this day, time after time and cast after cast they returned with a Trout on the end, it was perfect..Damn my left foot is cold!!

Up river I move with the stealth of a 250lb ninja...and the bends continue. But damn my left foot is cold...and then I feel it, the rush of cold water through my sock and across my toes and the sinking feeling that this day is coming to a close.....WHY!!!!

On the most perfect of days this has to happen..God hates me thats it.. or could it be when I patched these waders two months ago and my wife told me " you just buy new ones cuz winter is coming" I maybe should have listened??
Either way and despite the wrinkled cold ass foot, I was happy...my day has given me fish and memories and another reason to share with you all.. So after three hours and a ton of fish I return to my truck one sock short and the heater turned onto the floor, I head South and turn the radio on and reflect on my nearly perfect day....kinda thirsty though.....Oh I still have my coffee......SHIT.....thats hot!!!

<((><
Jeff