Reel Tales

When I caught my first fish, a sunfish, I was as surprised as the creature that had been attracted to the worm on the other end of the line. I suppose I kept on fishing because of the mystery: when would the next one bite? Then, it became a sport where my skills were being pitted against something that I could not see. This was different from catching a football or shagging a hit to right field. In both cases I could see my opponent as well as what was coming at me.

As I learned more about fishing with a fly, I continued to enjoy the mystery, the sport and the challenge of guessing which of the dozens of flies in my box would attract the trout. I also found that the best fishing came when I was alone. This was not only because no one could observe my mistakes but also because they were not there to disturb the tranquility. Now, I mostly enjoy that tranquility, but even more my memories of every one of those six decades since holding my first Union Hardware rod.