Opening Day: Trout Season, 2009

Opening Day. Have you ever been? Okay, for the first day of trout season, it is the opposite of deer season. Cold. Usually damp, with high, fast moving water that make it challenging and tough to catch fish.

We headed out today to try our hands, the Earth Skills Spring Semester students and I, to wet our lines and see if we could beat the odds! The end result: Nothing, although we did donate some hooks and worms to the great fish gods in the waters....

But it was nice to be out. Slowly growing skunk cabbage. Cautious ruffed grouse walking around. Muskrat tracks, raccoon tracks, mink tracks, etc. Beaver chewed twigs and sticks. The smell of rain on dead grass and river silt.

We started at the headwaters of the Susquehanna River, and moved around, to green swirling pools and rushing fast water over gravel. It was really fun and we had a great time....

Can't wait to head down to the East Branch of the Delaware River soon, when we can go all day.

Hope you enjoy the pics of some of our past fish catches here at Hawk Circle over the past few years. Ice fishing, and fish from creeks and rivers from around here too. Good times, and amazing fish. Beautiful fish. Sweet water. Bright red oosier dogwood. Good people and even an eagle or two.

Awesome!

We didn't get any bites even, but that's why they call it fishing, not catching, right?

Anyway, it's interesting to think of how frustrated I would be if I lost any of my hand made bone hooks instead of the modern ones. I can imagine how native peoples would feel getting their hard made tackle lost in the branches, roots, grass and weeds in the rivers!

This last pic is one of me, about fifteen or sixteen, after going out on a boat in the Pacific, fishing for silver salmon or coho salmon.... It was a great day, spent with my dad, and I didn't even get seasick!

Enjoy!

If you can get outside to go fishing, wander along a green water river, or track in fresh sandy silt, by all means, go! It will do wonders for your soul, and you will wonder why you even bother going in to work day after day.... Okay, I am just kidding about the last part, but isn't it fun to imagine hunting or fishing as your only job? Making your weapons, tackle, string, weights, arrows, etc?

Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

Sorry, I won't do that again!