I'm officially in the winter months of my season and this is the time I traditionally take off each year to rest and contemplate. It's also when I get around to working on the journal I publish for friends and family each year. It's been such a busy year that I wasn't sure I would get it done. And while I probably won't finish before Christmas, I will get copies out to everyone as soon as I can find the time. The cover art is done (see the photo) and I think its shaping up nicely.
I'm not the only one who preaches that what a good fisherman needs is a good three months off each year. There's just something to be said for having a beginning and an end to each season. For myself, it just adds to the celebration of the sport. After all, any good tech-head worth his weight knows that puttering with the gear bag in preparation for the first trip of the year is almost an event in itself. I relish the anticipation of that first trip and I enjoy the melancholy of the last day of the last trip of the year. Life is all about cycles and this just fits...
Truth be told, I also need the downtime for tying more flies. I can never keep enough Stimulators, Sealbuggers, and Water Boatmen in the fly box. There's also a certain white and chartreuse minnow pattern the Smallies slobber after... I've never been a fast fly producer so having the quiet months to focus on refilling stock is a real plus.
However you spend the winter, whether its ice in the glass in front of the TV or ice in the guides in front of a cold Steelhead hole, I hope you find the time to look back on what was another great year of fishing. I am grateful to all the friends and family who accompanied me and I look forward to the new season after I come out of hibernation...
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