Duke and the Salmon

My first try at some fiction. Thanks to Third Coast Fly for the inspiration.

Salmon Fishing is risky business, on second thought not risky more of a strange business kind of like what happens this afternoon. It started this afternoon when I was loading the truck to head north to fish the waters I had read about on the Third Coast Fly blog. I had everything to head up the road when my sad eyed bird dog looked up at me with sagging eyes, so I said “hop in Duke lets go”. He wagged is shortened tailed and hopped or should I say somewhat crawled up into the truck and we headed off. The drive was nice and the colors were pleasant but that stretch between Peru and South bend is a killer, boy is it boring. It started to spit rain about the time we crossed the state line but thank goodness that was short lived, I don’t think the old dog could have taken a cold wet afternoon of fishing, at 14 he needs the bright sun to keep moving when it’s cool out, I kinda do too but hate to admit it. As we approached the river I noticed that things seemed off, in the distance the sky was filling up with odd shaped clouds and although the wind was barely blowing it seemed as though the clouds were closing in quickly, it must have be some sort of illusion. We unloaded quickly, the dog ran over to the weeds and let everyone around know he was now in the neighborhood and I rigged up the 8 weight. I waded quickly out into the cool water and looked around to see what happened to be lurking nearby, once my eyes adjusted to looking beyond all of the gold and red leaves floating on the surface, I noticed the bruiser lying in between a log and the cut bank. I casted the fly gently past the salmon and let the current take it past its nose. Nothing! Again I casted just past the front of the salmon and drifted the fly this time the salmon rose to the fly and nope decide against it and settled back into its spot where I had been watching it for the last 20 minutes. One more time I told myself, I casted the fly, this time well past the salmon. Splash, “what was that”, I said out load, I turned to see a porcupine swimming right over the salmon I had been watching and casting too for 25 minutes. I watched in disbelief as the native pincushion swam right over MY fish. I am now mad, my fly is about to drift right in front of the salmon, the salmon is under the porcupine and my dog is barking from the shore at the porcupine. Then it all broke loose! I felt a tug like I have never felt before; I looked to see the porcupine swimming away with my chartreuse line stuck to the quills on its rump. Finally the line broke free of the quills and now was going in the opposite direction. What! Somehow the salmon was hooked up! I watched in disbelief as the line screamed off the reel. Yelp! Just then I turned and looked to see Duke running from the quill ejector and the porcupine ambling away from the river and into the brush, leaving Duke pawing at his muzzle. I told Duke to stay there and I would deal with him in a minute, I had a salmon to land. The battle was one that last longer than Duke would have liked, but he was a champ and lay still for the 20 minutes it took to land this salmon. I beached the salmon and as I removed the tattered fly I noticed a quill in the salmon’s “muzzle”. I removed the quill and released the salmon back into the cool water that was covered with golden colors of a Michigan’s autumn. I then turned attention to my friend of many trips to the river, Duke. He lay near my feet as I reached over and stroked his ears, I told him “Duke you and the salmon are both old, ornery companions give me a minute and I will release the quills from your lips too”.

It has been a while

Sorry to all of you out there it has been a long while since I have written. I plan on posting some more very soon. Major things have been happening like my son's first deer for starters and then there are just the everyday things that we tackle but more on that later. I am off to Morton to look at a Christmas gift or two and possible get a snack, you know it is the only place I know of in Indiana where you can get a turtle sandwich.

Great Art at a Great Deal

Joel over at A Year on the Fly is offering a great deal on his wonderful art work. I have purchased his art in the past and given it as gifts and it was the hit of the event. Check out his site and his Art work it is great stuff! See the Great Deal and his link below:

The Christmas Deal

Order Your Rare Trout Prints Today!
As a gift to my loyal followers and the many other that stop by on occasion I have decided to offer a special Christmas-Holiday Special. Okay, you got me, - I also need to raise a little money to support my two hobbies of fly fishing and painting, both of which require frequent purchases.
I have decided to offer these four trout prints, not as individual prints, but as a complete set for the ultra low cost of $65 Total!!! That's right, That price includes shipping and handling. If you were to order each print separately then the total cost would be over $100 including shipping.

Each 8x10 print comes in it own 11x14 mat and backing board. All you have to do is take them out of the protective plastic envelope used for shipping and place them in a frame. Each print will also be individualy signed by yours truly. They make perfect wall hangers for your man-woman cave, vacation cottage (if you are luck enough to have one), or fly tying station. They will also make great gifts for the anglers in your life.
I have decide to keep these four prints together because as a group these four fish are threatened by stream degradation, introduction of alien species, and other man made problems. Hopefully by my little effort to paint these beautiful fish, more people might be enlightened into the threats facing many of our favorite fish. I think every angler should do their part to protect and educate in oder that future generations might be able to fish for the same species we so enjoy going after.
So How Do You Take Advantage Of This Deal Before The Holidays? Just follw the link to Joel's site www.ayearonthefly.blogspot.com

A day that was gone and taken for granted

A year ago today I worked in my Dad’s yard with him for the last time. I did not know it at the time but in just a few short days Dad would go to the hospital and never return home again. As I thought about this today I was sad that I did not cherish that day, I thought just as I had thought every other day that Dad would be there on July 4th just like he always was watching the parade with us, he was not, nor will he be again. As we worked in the yard I was told “slow down”, “don’t work so hard”,”why don’t you come in and cool off” and “I am not going to tell you again, you are done”. And how did I respond? “Dad, I will be done when I am finished and not before, just go on I am almost there”. Dad was just showing concern for me just two months before I had, had a stroke like event while he was in Spain visiting my brother, I think it scared him a little, although he never said.
As I look back on that day, I wished I would have taken my time and worked slower and with Dad and not just in the same place as Dad, really I worked around Dad I was in a hurry to get that done so that I could get home and do things at my house. The work was good therapy for me and I enjoyed being out working, something that I thought I might not be able to do just a few weeks before. If I would have worked slower or worked with Dad it wouldn’t have changed anything but it would have been a few more minutes and maybe something would have been exchanged between the two of us or my boys would have seen us together working, sweating and maybe even laughing together. The moment came and went like so many others and I did not give it a thought then, but today I thought about it. I hope that you think about it and spend that extra few moments to linger with those around you that you would miss their laugh or the feel of their hand if they weren’t to come home tomorrow.

The Husband’s Guide to Getting Lucky Book Review

Sorry it has been so long since I have written

Marla Taviano hits the nail on the head. What a good read. I hope that every guy I know reads this book. If more couples would read this book and "Is That All He Thinks About", I think I would see a lot more smiles on a lot more faces. I am in total agreement with what Marla has found in her survey of married men, I hear the same responses from men all the time and when I ask how the react to the wives I understand why they say what they do. Guys take heed to these words of wisdom, listen to what Marla says about God's plan on how to treat your wife. If you want to get lucky you better treat her the way God wants you too. Wives you need to listen up too, this is a two way street, Marla has good advice for you, respond to your husband make him your hero. Marla thank you for your honest straight forward talk just the way a guy wants and needs to hear the truth. I appreciate that you don't beat around the bush you tell it like it is and are unashamed of the truth. Guys you need to read this and then sit down with your wives and discuss it or at least try the 30 day challenge and pray hard. Get the book right here http://www.husbandsgetlucky.com/

Build a Rod and Leave a Legacy

Deserve is a strong word. Do I want the A Hook & Hackle “Xi” 7’9” 4-piece 3 weight rod building kit! from HookHack.com. You better believe I want the kit. Why you may ask? because it is a project of lasting importance. Something I could create with my son. A piece of Art he could hold and use to touch something wild and beautiful. Have you ever caught a smallmouth bass on a bugger you tied, what a sense of fulfillment! My son ties beautiful flies and I am honored that I have used them to catch many fish. What a gift to him, to fashion a rod that he could use to catch the fish and live a life of adventure. Maybe these adventures would lead him to fish the Appalachians and write a blog like http://southernblueridge.wordpress.com/. I have used rods that my grandfather and father have used and felt the sporting legacy they left for me. I want to pass that legacy to my son and his future children and their children. What a gift to think that a rod that he and I built together could be used in 80 years by my great, great grandchildren. This is what creating Art is about leaving a lasting legacy for our future children.