Winter Plans and dreams

I was just thinking on the way home from work today how long it was until the season opened in May. I realized now is the time to remember good memories on the stream, read some good books about Fly Fishing and plan and prepare for next year.

It would be interesting to hear what the rest of you are going to be doing over the winter. May give us all some new ideas. And let us in on some of you memories.

One of my most memorable fly fishing trips involved my know grown 2 sons. I had a "River runs through it" moment. Then, they were in there early teens. We were leap frogging each other along the stream. It was early August and hot. Every cast was a trout, really.

By mid afternoon I was ready for a sit down but not the boys. They went on ahead. After a short rest, I walked up a rise to get a look at the water and see where the boys were. As I came over the top, I could see them down below, about 50 yards apart, wet wading up to their knees. They were on there own, confident, casting and bring in the trout.

At that moment, I sat down and watched, not wanting the moment to pass and the emotion to pass. I took pleasure in watching. I knew they were becoming young men. We shared the love of fly fishing and would have that for ever, I hoped. As of now we still do.

Timed moved on and so did I. I got back to fishing and, later, we returned to camp for a dinner of the best trout ever.

That moment is burned into my mind. I hope it never fades. This is what winter time is meant to do. Give us a chance to understand what is important in life. family and fly fishing, and not always in that order.

Happy winter all.

In the Midwest we can find some legal stream trout fishing year around. But I’ve never been very interested in winter trout fishing. I’ll put the fly rods away until Late March or April.

I like living where we have real seasons. This week I bought my two year old, soon to be three granddaughter a pair of little snowshoes. We’ll put them away until Christmas. I’m looking forward to cross country skiing and snowshoeing on our hobby farm, and working in the snow with our two riding/driving horses. We have two sleighs. The horses want the attention, and they need the work. When we lived in the city I didn’t like going outside in cold and snowy weather. Now that we have horses I have to go out at least a couple times a day, and I am glad to do it no matter how cold or stormy it is outside.

This week I tied three dozen flies for next season. My annual output lately has been 30-50 dozen. There’s no hurry in this; I only do it when I want to. If I didn’t tie any more before the season began, I’d have enough on hand for me and my friends. I do have a few special tying requests from friends, and I’ll finish these up long before the snow is gone.

I’ve carved about 40 fly rods from wood. I found some old hockey sticks in the barn, and this winter I’ll make a fly rod, probably a seven and a half foot five weight, from the shaft of an old hockey stick.

In late summer 2010 we moved to a new home. I can drive to my old streams in less than an hour, but I wanted to find something closer. I found a half mile of narrow water twisting though a deep wooded valley. Upstream the fishing is poor, but after the stream enters the valley it has an infusion of spring water. The access is a riddle, and the valley is essentially unfished. On my first visit there this year I caught several browns, including one of fifteen inches, a monster in a stream I can jump across. This winter I am studying and planning to get to know this stream well in 2011.

Your memory of the trip with your sons is important. These memories change us, and make us better persons. I have similar memories, with children and old friends, and I look forward to building on them with our granddaughter.

Yes. Happy winter.

Bummers on the winter and a shut down of fishing. I am headed out for some bonefish tomorrow and if the ocean gives us a window hope to do some offshore before x-mas. I have a client next weekend and will try and get him some trevally. We just get more rain in the winter here in Hawaii, but the fishing is still pretty good. I can't say I miss the cold. You guys should hit the bahamas for some bonefish. They really are good fun to chase on the flats. Have a great turkey day, Mems.

Four of us get together every month during the winter to tie flies, taste test micro beers, and show off any new tackle acquired. We rotate between homes so each hosts once maybe twice per off season. We each tie up 4 flies which we exchange as well as bring say a six pack of a micro beer.

Of course somneone always brings a nice salami or a cheese. Often we put in a fly fisihing video, sit back, tie, taste, and plan for the next season. Each night always seems to relive the past yet create new memories of outings to come. Some have poker night; we have tie and lie.

Jeff

Here in the candlewood valley we are blessed with some year round trout management areas. On remotely mild days I will fish for trout. But the offseason is going to be spent paring down my fly selections and tying up the patterns that I habitually use. The other flies will go in jars to be door prizes at TU meetings etc...

I enjoy the really cold nights with a nice beverage, sitting in front of the vise and talking to my 2 boys...both under the age of 10 about stuff....
sometimes its fishing, sometimes its school....sometimes its retelling old stories.

I miss my sons being that age. They are now 28 and 26. One still in the Airforce, Capt. and the other just out of the Army as a combat medic for the last 6 years. When get together fishing alwas comes up and we try make to our favorite stream. And, their sister, 22, now goes with us and we love it.

Enjoy these times. It is surprising how soon you are looking back on them.

Merry Christmas to you and your sons.

Central-

Thanks for the well wishes and thank you to you and yours for your sacrifices to serve our country.

I never understood how quickly time seems to move until having kids...hard to remember to live in the moment sometimes..but that is my new years resolution. Only 1 resolution...should be able to handle that this year.