Fishing 109

..................I am by nature the sort of person who likes to think that trinkets and sayings, pins and crystals make a difference. It is a little more evident that I realized until Tom's grand daughter, Jillian counted ladybugs, angels, dragon flies, and loons in the house last winter and wished for the crystals in the dining room.

...Therefore, beyond fishing, there is the clothing you wear. Perhaps I can look back and say, "Those were unlucky hats." Perhaps. One day while at the One Stop at Longville, I picked up a baseball cap with a bass on it. Oh, it was a great cap, I caught a lot of fish with it, even though my ears burned and peeled. I had bought Columbia© clothes to fish in one winter and along with it, I had bought a hat. I was concerned about changing from my cap to a hat with a brim but my ears needed to be covered. I covered it with charms and went fishing. The first rain made the brim 'ruffle'. But it was a lucky hat.

This spring, while at the sports store, they had Tilley Hats©. I had brought them for Tom before and he liked them. He convinced me to buy one. I was hopeful it would be lucky. It is covered with pins, including one I got from my grand daughter Jaeme as well as one I got from Jillian. Surely that in itself should bring me luck and magic!

When I caught the first fish this spring I did not have a hat on. Tom says all of the pins aren't what catch the fish, it is the technique and the wisdom of the bite I have learned over the years.

But that is the difference between us. I would actually kiss a duck for luck. I will wear a hat with forty pounds of pins on it just knowing that hat will make the difference even if the other fisherman say that if it blows off, it will sink. What they don't know is the Tilley© is insured. Yes, truly.

Do you have lucky charms?

Do you believe in luck?

Can you cast your troubles and worries away while working on a hobby?

Are you at the point in your hobby to make it swoosh?

Did it come naturally or did you have to work at it?

Did you have a teacher or are you self taught?

Old Trunks is hopeful you are hitting your mark.

What is my opinion of fishing NOW you ask? I am still after the catch; I don't like come off the lake without something in my virtual creel.

Yet, there is something so beautiful and serene about looking at the lake, watching the loons, listening to the birds, (whether it be a twitter or a grunk from a heron). And the small talk that goes on with your fishing bud.

There is still something very special about new lakes and having only a DNR map to teach you the structure as well as Leech, were, one recognizes land jetties and having a feel for where you are. When one looks back over the picture albums, one sees how quickly the reeds/weeds/cat tails mature each year. One gets a sense of ones own history of fishing.

Most importantly, one gets a sense of what part of the universe you are. PART.

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