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 In a nutshell, 2005 was a year of great fishing but, ufortunately, not as often as I would have wished for. I don't mind though because this was the year of my first born, baby boy. I won't bore the world with another of my diatribes, just the highlights January-February: No fishing. I just hunkered down and tied flies. Bummer. March: We had a few weeks of really nice weather so I was able to get out with a buddy and fish Hinkson and Pyramid. I did just so-so, but we were wearing shirtsleeves in float tubes after what seemed like an eternity of trying to just stay warm and waiting to fish again. April: The last Saturday of the month was opening day on the Little Truckee. I got up early and hit it by myself since I couldn't find anyone to go with me. I ended up landing three native browns in six casts. The first was 24 inches, the second 22 and the third, 18. This was an epic day. Even better, I had just been made fun of by two guys who thought I was fishing in a stupid spot. They saw the whole thing! Hah! May: I spent most of May dealing with moving. I had mixed feelings about the move because I used to live about 5 minutes from the Truckee River near Mayberry Park. The new house is at the very South end of town, but it put me close to a couple of urban ponds that are fun to fish year round. So, I gave up my proximity to the Truckee in exchange for a place to wet a line all year. It's not quite the same experience, but I don't exactly have to drive a lot to get back on the truckee. June: I finally got out to Frenchman with the float tube. I did okay. Since my wife was getting pretty far along, I didn't stray too far from home. So, I fished the ponds most of the time. A buddy of mine and I decided to hit the Upper Little Truckee one day. It was 36 degrees there! In June! C'mon, this was a cooolld spring! July: By now, I really didn't want to be too far from home. I got out to Davis with the boat... skunked. Boca with the boat... skunked. Frenchman with the boat... skunked. Rocked 'em on the local pond though! Anytime I fished by myself, I'd slay 'em. Ad a buddy, forget it. August: I had epic days on the Truckee right in the middle of town. I love the easy-wading, low water we have late in the summer. And, my boy was born on August 31st!! What a month. I am going to rush right out and buy him a Sage TXL 00 weight to give him when he's 18. I better look after it in the mean time... heh, heh. September: September's a blur. I had a newborn in the house. Sleep? October: Started hitting the Truckee and the Little Truckee regularly again. The Little Truckee wasn't so hot yet, but evenings under the Glenshire bridge were on fire. I would get out midweek and be the only guy on the water. I used my 3 weight Avid to cast tiny BWOs and midges most of the time and nailed some beautiful rainbows pretty much every night just before dark. I love fall fishing in this area. November: More of the same as October. Fall was just spectacular this year. Had a great day on Frenchman in the middle of the month. It was warm so we took the boat and had a great day. This was also the month I was introduced to Barney's Fly Fishing Ranch. What a blast! Early in the month, I had a few classic days on the Little Truckee, too. December: I've been able to fish a little on the pond. Actually snuck in a half hour Christmas Eve and landed a rainbow and a crappie. The weather was nice. I am grateful for that short time. Honestly, it was a much more eventful year for my fishing than what I can remember here. I managed to get out with some good friends and enjoy some beautiful days on and near the water. I learned a lot this year and believe I took my tying to a new level. Actually, I took every aspect of my fishing to a new level. Probably, most significantly, I learned a lot about focus and how to read the water and look for signs that I would've missed in years past--not just spotting fish, but recognizing the signs that suggest what the conditions might be like beneath the surface. I gained a better sense of how the weather effects fish behaivior. And, I learned to try things that others might think are crazy like throwing big foam ants when there are seemingly no fish looking up. So, thanks to all my fly fishing buddies and those who unknowingly have inspired me to grow. Let's all look forward to a fantastic 2006! |
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