This afternoon I was fishing upstream in my neighborhood creek. I heard several voices having a conversation behind me but couldn’t see them around the bend. It took about ten minutes for them to appear. It took another six minutes for them to close the 120 yards between us.
This trio of boys were on some “Stand By Me” adventure.
The Pondering Mind
As they came closer, I heard them say something about “Windy Rush” which means they put in about a thousand yards downstream. They talked about their great fishing skills for catching bream and bass. They wondered if it would be faster to swim upstream instead of trudging in the sandy bottom.
A promise was made by one to take the other two out on his dad’s boat. It was noted that there probably were not any trout in the creek because the bass would have eaten them. Just talking among friends.
When they got to me, they stopped and asked if I was fly fishing. The leader wanted to know if I “was havin’ any luck”. They shared advice about bobbers, worms and treble hooks being really good option for this creek. They usually do well with that rig. I thanked them for the advice.
The Respectful Gesture
As they turned nose back upstream and prepared to get underway again one of them stopped. This was the self proclaimed “really good at bass fishing” kid. He looked me in the eye and offered an apology for having trekked right through my fishing area.
I respect that.
“Not a problem guys, have fun” was an easy response. I didn’t mind at all that they had splashed through my casting zone. My fishing was far less important than what they had going on.
The Reminder
Don’t we all wish we could get back to some childhood adventure like this every once in a while?
It was a great day for me to have seen this. It was a perspective I needed to be reminded of.
I should have thanked them for reminding me that I had many an adventure like that in my youth.
And they walked on…
Originally posted by J. Sparks for Tenkara Angler’s Facebook page on June 22, 2020.
Do you have a story to tell? A photo to share? A fly recipe that’s too good to keep secret? If you would like to contribute content to Tenkara Angler, click HERE for more details.
Thanks for sharing Jason. You were part of one of life’s magical moments. We should all strive for more of those.
Jason…this is one of the best things I’ve read on the web in a long time…or read period…reminded me of those little blurbs in that book of Hemingway’s collected stories…plain writing but with something to say
While I’m at it , I love your fly patterns and appreciate the videos you’ve posted outlining your approach….refreshing….blowing out the cobwebs from centuries of western overbearing tradition..finally tying is fun again., instead of a rule bound chore….