Comfort Sport

Dates: August 16, 2008
Location: Warwick & Famous Original Ray's
Air temp: mid 60s to mid 80s
Water temp: ???
Hatches: ?
Fish landed: 1 bow, 2 panfish, 2 suckers


Present members of the Fly Anglers Guild :|: Upper Midwest Chapter, for this outing were:

Xan


I've had quite a lot on my mind as of late. I'd been racking my brain, pacing the room, lost in my thoughts. I didn't even want to go fishing, but I knew I needed to. So early Saturday morning, I woke up without an alarm at 3:30, got my things and headed out. I've been wanting to fish a particular spot after visiting it months prior, to see if it held large trout. I arrived at the Warwick just before dawn and headed to the dam.

I stood on a large chunk of stone on the bank, and casted an egg sucking leech around my perimeter. As daylight slowly filled the areas around me, I started to see fish rise. I tied on a stimulator and eventually got a hit. Quickly getting the fish in, I discovered I had caught a crappie. The chances of large trout faded from my mind, but I continued to fish other areas by the dam to see what else I could land.

The sun started to peek over the large concrete wall. Standing in that place, faced with the cascade of water, the glowing mist, the trees, all amplified and sharpened with the yellow tint of my polarized glasses, I finally felt like I was in the right place. I hadn't solved my problems, but I knew, over time, that I would.

After landing one more crappie, I headed downstream to look for trout. I went directly to a deeper run, tied on some nymphs, and set to work. I was rewarded with two consecutive suckers, but was finally able to land a 12" bow. That was my fill of the Warwick, and I headed off to McD's for some biscuits.

Refueled, I drove to Famous Original Ray's. I tied on a hopper and set to work. I fished all the way up to the gallery, only sporting a dry. Between a hopper and a stimi, I had hits throughout the day, but wasn't able to land a single fish. I fished until I had worn myself out, until all the worries in my head were gone and the decisions I needed to make at this point in my life were made. I returned to my car, with my mind silent, my body exhausted, ready to go back to the world. And so I did.