Wednesday, February 16, 2011

My welcome back!

After a three month hiatus, I finally got back on the water.
Pulled onto E-line st. on the Owens River in Bishop.
Talked for a while, with a spin guy who'd gotten blanked.
His wife pulled up and summoned him. So... all the water was mine.
Although my shakes had been in an advanced state, just being on the water was very soothing.
I was taking in the cute fish rises, when a bigger guy rose to something.
In a fraction of a second (or less) I was sprinting to the truck.
Shaking and panting, I pulled out a rod still rigged with a fly from three months before.
I made a couple casts up on the road to warm up, then boogied down to the water.
Walked through the tules, to a notch in them.
I made a beautiful cast (amazing, considering the time off), and started my 1st drift with a little white may.
Sure enough, he ate it!
In the near darkness, I couldn't see how big he was.
Still....even stout and stubborn, he couldn't resist my pull.
He slid into the little notch in the bank a couple minutes later.
It was then, I suddenly realized that I didn't have waders on, or a net either. Ooooops......
At that precise moment, he felt the hesitation, and made his move.
A quick button hook pattern through the reeds, and the jump to warp speed and safety.
Game over!!!
I'd call it a draw.
I didn't cast again due to darkness, and the law.
What a welcome back.
Not a bad way to start the season though.