Spring Fishing

Ok, I'll admit it, I LOVE fishing. I really don't care what I'm fishing for. I love it all. Sitting over a brush pile catching Crappie, is a lot of action and a lot of fun. Drifting large chunks of bait for giant blue catfish is a blast. Sight fishing for redfish inshore, trolling for tuna. Its all fun, and addicting!

For the past several weeks I've been working in a part of our county that has a few isolated trout streams. I said to myself I needed to remember to bring my spinning outfit with me and during lunch break, make a few casts. Well, I finally remembered to bring along my ultralight spinning outfit. A Pflueger Patriarch and an Abu Garcia 5' ultralight. I was using 6 lb test since that's the smallest the stores around here carry. But I prefer 2lb for trout and panfish. (Yes I really like fishing light line - that's another post to come).

In a pool that I will not mention since its a relatively pressured stream, and I don't think many fish this particular area. I tied on a 1/32 oz beetlespin in black. Made a lot of casts and even missed a fish. After about fifteen minutes, I threw into some ripples and felt the aggressive tap that trout are known for. Normally in this stream 6" is an average size, with a few 9" being caught. My personal best stream wild brown came from this area about fifteen years ago. It was a nice 14" brown and another 13" rainbow. But the giants were elusive this day. The beetlespin fluttered along the rocks and the hook up came. A mighty fight by a beautiful brown trout, followed by prayers it wouldn't throw the lure before I could get some pictures. I got a few pictures and guessed the fish at about 10-11 inches. A real nice stream trout for South Carolina.

A few minutes later I was searching the tackle box for a new lure and saw a crawdad colored lipless crankbait about 1" long. Not even remembering where it came from, I tied it on to see what would happen and on the first cast I hooked a nice Rainbow, about 10" in size. A good lunch break to say the least.

I know that many purist trout anglers frown on the use of spinning tackle to catch trout. But for my money, its productive, and if it gets more people enjoying time afield, and its legal its a good manner of fishing.

Funny how a 10" fish can get one so excited. Both were released to fight again. I'm hopeful that on my next lunch break in that part of the county another beautiful brown will be waiting for me.

Seasons of the Year

Like most people I love the changing seasons. I enjoy the transformation from one to the other and look to each with certain anticipation. Preparing for each individually, and reflecting on each as the year passes along.

For many outdoors persons, the seasons we mark aren't dictated with the changing of seasons, so much as they are with legal dates on a calendar. In our part of the world, whitetail season begins in stages. If you are from the lowcountry in South Carolina it begins in August. For me, its September, and the marking of seasons begins. I mark them all - Dove season, deer season, duck season, rabbit season, grouse, and woodcock seasons. Trapping season, and finally, the last of all Turkey season, which for some is the first season of the year since it begins in spring. But for me, its the last season of the year. My seasons begin September 1 with the opening of deer and dove seasons and end May 1 with the end of turkey season.

As I write this, I am looking at the calendar and see that we have fifteen days until the beginning of Turkey season. Youth Day is March 31, and I am anxiously waiting to take my son on his first turkey hunt. As I wait - might I add I am far more anxious than he, I am reminded that the seasons we mark as sportsmen are also seasons we mark as parents, sons and daughters, friends and colleagues. Seasons come and go, and they are all remembered for their success and for their failures. But more than that, they are remembered for the family and friends we shared them with and we always know that regardless of the weight in our game bag. These are always Times Well Spent.