5/31/13

Indeed

Lazy, summer day

5/29/13

Keeping Up

Just caught up on reading/viewing the blog posts, good stuff, and thought I'd throw some of my own out.

Lera and I swooped in to Baltimore last weekend. Inner Harbor area is pretty touristy but the city seems to have a bit of a seedy edge to it (although this was sometimes manifested in contrived weekend hipsters in skinny black jeans with combat boots and fossil watches). Not that I should judge as I sport a tatoo representing the Beatnick Generation and work for the Federal Government.

Downtown from the Harbor
 
Ducks
 
National Aquarium
 
 Wife
 
 Jelly
 

Lera PR'd by 15 minutes

5/28/13

Keys

(Full disclosure: This is a copy of a post I put up on The Drake, a superb flyfishing forum. It has a distinctive style, I hope you like it)

Something to listen to, while you enjoy the show.


Struck out last year, first real attempt at a first tarpon. Intense to say the least. My buddy's undying optimism kept my keel as even as it was gonna get. Had a blast, but the obsession only worsened. Took all year to wrap my head around it and to mull over some advice (that I desperately needed) about ways to avoid frustration and disappointment.



"You're tarpon fishing, for fuck's sake... Don't forget it!"



This time will be different.




Early start first day. Slow to find fish, but the sun was everywhere. One of us was acclimated.

Managed a few tolerable shots at grumpy tarpon. No eats. Fried Chicken.
Day two meant the third trip we've taken together through Shadow Country, one of the coolest places on the planet.

I smiled the whole ride.



Found the tarpon spot. Nearly lost my shit at the first eat. Just sea trout.



Eventually another eat, tarpon this time. I stripped, water exploded, airborn toward the boat, slack line, threw the fly. First jumped tarpon! Too fast for a picture, but the small victory had big effect. A bit of liberation.

"Let's go snook fishing."

"Really?"

"Yeah, what the hell."

"Fuck yeah!"


Small fish, but an afternoon of beating mangroves put me in just the right headspace for the evening tide... and tarpon. Then...

That was the best shot we got. Ten minutes later, 90 lb tarpon boatside, my buddy grabs the leader, fish makes one last desperate jump, I bow, but had the drag locked down, leader popped right in from of me.

Call it what you want, I call it the perfect end to a perfect day!



Day three, with the pressure off.



Arguably the greatest fishing trip I've ever had. Not just because of the fish, but because there's something truly special about fishing with my buddy in the Keys. Every trip out feels like it's going to be the best one you've ever had. He's got enough optimism and fishy mojo for the whole boat. I feel pretty damn lucky. Damn lucky.

 (Beer mug cheerinig guys emoticon)

Bye Bye

5/26/13

Bra

5/21/13

5/19/13

5/7/13

Guess