Enjoying the great outdoors far outweighs time spent watching TV. When choosing between the fishing tube or the boob tube, it’s no contest for those with an appreciation for all that nature has to offer. No concern over obscenity, whether audible or visual, other than the rare expletive that may be expressed by some frustrated fishermen. For the most part, it’s meditative and a place to express gratitude for our creator, as well as provide for your family, if you’re lucky.
I’ve recently enjoyed a couple of what I would call productive outings in my fishing tube, the most recent one completed without a spotter. The days are limited for stream fishing trout in 2025 as fall approaches. The temperatures begin to drop, especially at night, which for me shortens the amount of time I can spend for any one outing due to the subsequent effects on my digital circulation. It’s a challenge tying hooks and baiting with white, numb fingers, a condition called Raynaud’s caused by vasospasm. The combination of chill and damp, which is unavoidable while fishing in a stream, has its disadvantages. The neoprene gloves are nice until they become wet, which is inevitable if you’re having success. Even though I enter the stream with temps in the high 60’s to 70’s, it doesn’t take long for my core temp to drop. It’s hard to fish with one hand while you’re warming the other. I could really use a heated pole handle, you know, like a heated steering wheel. Hand warmers help a little, for the few moments your hand is free to indulge. Still, it’s worth the extra effort, I just have to move along a little more quickly.
One of my successful catches took the chill challenge to the next level when the rather large fish, 11 ¼” to be exact, wove itself around a log in the bottom of the river. I could see the fish down there, but it was far too deep for me to reach down and extricate. Because the fish turned upside down in the struggle, I could see where she was from the silvery sheen to her abdomen. In my desperation, I made several attempts to reach her or budge the log with my trout net. Finally, she came loose and I quickly netted her, adding her to my creel as the final keeper of the 3 for this very enjoyable live streaming adventure. I was grateful to have made it just before the shivering set in. The quarter mile trek back to my car carrying my tube and fishing equipment with waders on provided the needed warmth to avoid further hypothermia. And despite a bit of discomfort between the muscle strain and desire for heat, there was most certainly a smile on my face.
author showing her bountiful catch alongside one of her favorite salads (pear, walnuts and dark greens)
For me, this is fishing success and I’m having a blast! We’ve also enjoyed a few top notch meals featuring my catch of the day, Brook Trout. Whether saute’ed in butter with almonds and lemon or grilled, paired with fresh produce, we’re eating good in the neighborhood!.
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