I left work early today around 1245 so I could run home and jump on a Zoom training call. About halfway home the phone rang and the ID showed it was Andrew Hamilton. I know Andrew from Orvis and we have fished several times on my boat. Each year he reaches out to see if I can go, but today it was different. "Get here", he said.
People say cell phones have ruined fishing due to spot burning. Find the fish, phone a friend, and you'll soon be joined by a hundred guys with rods in hand. Fly guys are a little different. Niche fishing. Not too many of us. And we don't have that many friends to be a threat. There are different types of calls, "I caught a fish", "I'm into fish", and the "Get here". The last time I sounded the alarm was last Friday when I came upon an all out blitz in Long Branch. I called Leif but both of us had dinner commitments so we just had to chalk this up to a missed blitz.
Andrew, like Capt Ron from The Fisherman said the other day, also stated "It was the best day of fishing.....ever". Bigger bass, keeper size to 40 inches camped out and blowing up on peanut bunker on the dropping tide. Not in and out, but camped, and maybe just moving a little right and left. Fish in the wash, peanuts on the beach, perfect for the fly rodder, and in fact, at times, maybe better than our spin rod counterparts.
By 240 pm my Zoom meeting never materialized. So, what to do. On Thursday I leave for The Big Easy for four days for NCLEX training for our nursing program. Luckily the college is footing the whole bill. Next week is Thanksgiving and there's a ton of stuff to do. "Should I stay or should I go", that was the question. Gone Thurs- Sun, work Mon- Wed next week and Turkey day on Thursday. So I mowed the grass and blew the leaves and then talked to Leif. His son was down into the action and he was going.
Now we have about 25 family members coming. I have sat on more projects or started and stopped more than I can imagine. Need to finish the kitchen, okay, let's take up the driveway? It's just right to get something done, or at least appear like I am close to completeing something in my life. But the bass......
Theresa and I ran to Shop Rite. We needed half and half for morning coffe and I needed my Pick 6 tickets. I play the kids birthdays and never miss a Monday or Tuesday, but now with the new $2 ticket a piece, that put me out $22. So I grabbed a "Managers Special" day old crumb cake and resigned myself to stay put. Before I pulled the paint-can-trigger I looked at the gas gauges, and that was it. Good night Irene.
So I broke open the crumb cake, warmed up some coffe, and got to gettin' something done. What a loser. With each stroke I pondered WTF is going on in my life. What a so-called striper fly fisherman. Stuck at home after getting the call 5 hours ago. If I went I would have fished for hours on the incoming and just sucked it up and went to work exhausted, but happy. But I got things done and didn't waste the gas making the trip. Besides, the bite was probably over, "It's a day thing". The fish must be resting or ready to blow up from eating all day. Until I got the below text from Leif around 830.....what a loser I am.
