“We’re talking about practice, man.” –Allen Iverson
In the period of winter dormancy there’s a fine line to walk between considering yourself a fisherman or just someone who likes the idea of it. There are things built around it all to engage in, like the daily scanning of other peoples’ thoughts and images, and the expos. But after a while all of it stands to serve as reminder of what you’re not doing.
The thing to do is dig the rod tube out from underneath the crusty Grundens, walk to the park down the street, and start flinging line in the snow. Remember some of the things you heard the old man say at the Somerset casting demo about speed not power. Having the line in the air is the next best thing to having the line in the air over water, which is the next best thing to having the line come tight in your hand.
Ignore the dude with the dog and the frisbee looking at you strange; the park is clearly posted no dogs or skateboards or lacrosse sticks, but there’s nothing about 8-weights. Practice, man, it restores the mind.*
*(Books about practical fishing knots do not.)
Most of my fishing trips consist of “practice”….not the game….but practice.
If I get down to the west coast again, we’ll have to put some practice in on the ditches.
Ripping off the White Stripes? That’s the best you can do?
I got nothing and you know it.