First Day of Fishing Season

WOOOOHOOOO!!!!

It's here. Fishing season is upon us. Okay so maybe that was a bit of false excitement. I'm happy the season is open but right now I look out my window and still see snow sitting in the fields and the waters are still quite high. My species of choice is Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and I have found they tend to be sparse in these conditions and I usually have to wait until the first weeks of May before I have any solid outings. I can remember as a kid, not having any responsibilities such as work, getting home from school and dashing to the brook behind my parents place and casting that first line on the first day. It seemed back then I could always catch one or two trout on opening day.

Most local research will tell you fewer and fewer people are fishing and I struggle with this. Why would anyone not want to fish? Fishing can be a sport, a profession, or a past time. It can be exciting, relaxing, frustrating, and calming. Like life, fishing is what you make it so how can you not like it. You don't have to adhere to any strict schedule, you don't have a time limit, you don't have to worry about team mates or opponents. How can an activity get any simpler? I can't wait to cast my first line out into deep pool and feel that telling tug. I'll hopefully set the hook and reel in my prize, not knowing what it is until it breaks the waters surface.

Hope to see you on the water.