Troutbirder

Troutbirder
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Monday, July 26, 2010

Home Waters

I just started reading Home Waters edited by Gary Soucie. It's a fly-fishing anthology. Home waters would be that place or places which the flyfisherman considers his own. Not in the literal sense, of course, but in the sense of being at home there. The place with which he is most familiar and most comfortable. A place to which he returns most often in body and spirit.
For me, it is the spring fed limestone creeks and rivers of Bluff Country, the karst region of southeastern Minnesota. There are several rivers and innumerable streams and tiny brooks in this unglaciated countryside. Over a forty year period I have fished most of them. The South Branch of the Root River is closest to my home and heart. It is the place to which I now return in my retirement years.
This is where I first learned how to entice the wily brown trout with the fly. Then taught my two sons the same art. Later, as they grew up, we wandered far afield to the fabulous waters of Montana and Yellowstone National Park. The Boulder, the Gallatin, the West Fork of the Madison, The Big Hole, The Lamar, Slough Creek and countless others became part of our vocabulary.
Here son Ted and I standing confidently above the Lamar having caught and released our share of giant cutthroat trout.Those days of memory are long gone now.










Son Tony lives with his family in Colorado and only rarely are we able to find the time and place to share our common interest in fishing for trout. Grandson Ethan, though, is learning to love the outdoors and perhaps someday.....
My "Home Waters" the South Branch of the Root River.

6 comments:

Catherine said...

Fishing with my dad... how I loved it. Thanks for reminding me! :)

xo Catherine

Montanagirl said...

Father and son fishing together...how nice! Good post, TB.

Jane said...

Wonderful post. I have many fond memories of fishing with my dad as well.

Jane

EcoRover said...

I like the concept of homewater. We do get enamored of distant prospects and it is fun to travel, but most anglers I know develop a deep sense of connection to local places. TU has that to great effect with local chapters. As Wendell Berry said, "I stand for what I stand on," or, in the case of anglers, "in."

Kathie Brown said...

I imagine your love of fishing takes you to so many marvelous places like my love of birding does. I totally understand how a place can get under your skin and into your heart until you belong to it and it belongs to you.

Thanks for your visit to my blog. I am so glad you get to share your love of nature with your grandson. When I was in college as a non-traditional student in the early 2000's we had an Honors Course called the "Epistimology of Fly Fishing." Sadly I never got to take it. I wish now that I had!

Far Side of Fifty said...

Great sport you have shared with your son and grandson..I applaud anyone that teaches a kid to fish.
Home waters, I can sure identify with that..I guess I like my home waters the best too:)