Best Part of the Day

The best part of the day on the river is when you take the focus away from the fishing and take a look around. Bald Eagles fly by and land on a perch overhead, the cold clean water flows over rocks in the run above you, the twilight approaches and blue winged olives hatch in a tailout while smolts take them on the surface. Salamanders scurry over rocks into small pools of water for safety as you watch a friend cast a laser tight loop into the distant seam. These are but a few of the things that make fishing so special. It is far too often you overlook these things while in pursuit. For many of us flipping the switch from our fast day to day life is difficult on the water. Many of us focus too much on the fish and do not get the full appreciation for what we are doing while immersed in nature and its mighty rivers.

I too often try to escape from the real world and fail to appreciate what we have because I am too focused on my quarry. Those special days when I am relaxed and more appreciative of being out on the water or out in nature and less focused on fishing leads me to more success and relaxation. The more relaxed I am, the better I cast and make presentations. I am able to view the experience as a whole and not be too focused on catching a fish, more on how I am fishing and why I am out in Mother Nature. Success does still occur, and those of us that do it more and more find our own personal gratifications in our own personal pursuit on the water.