The year is coming to a close, and odds are, I won’t see water again for a while. As I write this, I am looking out my window at an utterly dreary day. Overcast, chilly, slow steady rain. For most people this is a good day to stay inside, but for an Enlightened Angler, this is the type of weather that calls you to the water. This is the kind of day when the bigger fish that are usually well hidden come out to play; and even the clumsiest of waders can be ninja like in their stealth. You can wade out amongst them unseen, throwing large flies made of flowing hair and marabou. I can feel the tug at the end of the line just thinking about it.

To wrap up the year, I thought I would list the info I compiled in my fishing journal.

Total fish caught Jan-Dec 2007---198
Chubs and other assorted drifters---19
Smallmouth Bass---4
Brown Trout---16 (Largest 17”)
Brook Trout---7
Rainbow Trout---152 (Largest 21”)

Days fishing---26
Days skunked---8

All in all a good year.

I hope each of you have a great 2008!

Marc

Luke 2
1And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
2(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

MERRY CHRISTMAS,

MARC

Without question, my Dads Mother made the best cobbler ever. No recipe, no measured portions, just a knack for hitting it just right every time. She lived with us and I can remember coming home from a long summer day in the woods or down at the lake, pulling up my t-shirt to form a basket, and picking fresh blackberries from the briar laden plants that grew in profusion along the fencerow that bounded our property.

Snakes would be present as well, hungry for both the berries and the mice that craved them. I would reach my hand into the thorny plants to pull the huge berries, retracting my thin arm quickly as if I would be able to successfully dodge the strike of some unseen viper. Little did I know at the time, but the common blacksnake was the only reptile lurking in the shadows. Nonpoisonous, but that is a non-issue to one who has in inclination to be fearful of such creatures.

I would carry the berries up to the house, nibbling on a few as I went, and dump them in a bowl in the kitchen sink. Leaving Mamaw to work her magic, I headed off to the shower to wash the days dirt away. Then it would happen; I would step out of the shower and be greeted by the sweetest smell that seemed to fill the air of our home. The berries had been washed, sorted, and mixed with other ingredients to create what still to me is nothing short of perfection. I would quickly grab a spoon; my hands still shriveled from the shower, and eat heartily. I can still feel the gentle crunch of the random blackberry seed, hot and alive with flavor.

It has been said that some men fly fish a long time without realizing that it isn’t the fish they are after. Sometimes, gathered around a campfire or cabin table among other fly anglers, conversation turns to past trips. Within those conversations, if you listen very carefully, you will note that a lot of the stories don’t involve the fish at all. It is the wonderful and blessed experience of living that lingers in the mind. It is the moments when memory is made of more than an action, when it has life and breath, when it imbeds itself into the heart…those are the days when heaven comes close. Those are the days that build a lifetime.

When I was a boy, my family lived roughly half a mile from Norris Lake. Each spring without fail, just about the time the Dogwoods bloomed, white bass (or stripe bass) would run up into Indian Creek to Spawn. Using a Zebco 33 and a small white rapalla with a red head, my friends and I would go down there and catch fish all day. The bass were so thick that seemingly each cast would get a hit. For some reason, shortly after I started Junior High, the fish stopped running up the creek. It was as if they had been removed from the lake altogether.

This past weekend, I experienced that old feeling. Standing mid thigh in turbulent water, I gleaned a massive number of trout. They weren’t native, and never did they get over 12-13”, but the sheer numbers of these stocked offerings brought back that joy I had remembered from so long ago.

I fished with a small lightweight bamboo, which bent nearly double at times as these fish used the current to their advantage. I may have looked like a master fisherman, but in fact, all it boiled down to was a little bit of know how and a strong dose of history.

These fish are stocked in mid November, and for most stocked trout, it takes them a few weeks to grow accustomed to their surroundings and spread out. I knew that they would be huddled together, and eating anything that came by. Video footage of freshly stocked trout shows that they will eat twigs, pieces of leaves, just about anything. Time will make them savvy to what is food and what is not, and they will establish a pronounced pecking order, but until then, all you have to do is find one…the others will be close.

I also had the opportunity to meet an online acquaintance. He fished upriver from me for a while before coming down to where the fish were holding. We had good conversation, and often we both had fish on the line.

The weather here is starting to get colder and the water temperature will cause the trout to settle down, but throughout the winter, I will continue to seek them out. By early spring, those who are either wise enough or lucky enough to survive will have grown and my 3wt. bamboo will be replaced with a 5wt. to accommodate their size.

Sometime in mid April, I will no doubt hook a good one. Last spring I gleaned two that were nearly 20” from this same spot, but until then I will wade out amongst them and have the same giddiness I knew as a child. The fish are different, and the tackle is far removed from my old 33, but it will be every bit as fun…as a matter of fact…it already is.