There’s a set of steps on our favorite river, right at one of our favorite holes. I’ve found that the second step is wonderfully perfect for eating a nut and banana sandwich, sipping on a cold beer or just enjoying the views. These steps are a spot I’ve used to warm up. The spot I was bitten by a brown recluse spider and the place where I watched Jacob catch one of the biggest browns I’ve ever seen. This is where I’ve met strangers traveling by on the trail, where fellow fishermen have plopped down next to me for a quick chat.
Read moreFarewell To Summer
The changing of seasons is always difficult for me. Mostly because I'm impatient and I want it to happen right away. I expect flowers to bloom the first day of spring and 40 degree nights the beginning of autumn. Apparently, mother nature still hasn't received my memo.
Here in Western North Carolina, we've had a particularly long, wet, warm year. Jacob and I recently joked that we saw a groundhog and he told us there would be six more weeks of summer.
Read moreOver The Ridge
Some days hiking over the ridge pays off.
Rushed Hours
Fishing trips. Oh, how I miss a good fishing trip. Since returning home from Colorado, it's been a whirlwind of work. Yup, that four letter word has crept back into our lives. Between a backlog of rod bags (thank you all!!!), rod building and guiding Jacob and I have only managed to hit the water once. But, I guess that's what you get when you go on a month long vacation.
Last week we decided to put our "to-dos" on the back burner for a couple of hours and run up to the Davidson. It's close to the house, it holds fish, and our favorite brewery is on the way home. Win-win-win.
Read moreA Rainbow and A Pot of Gold
The parking lot was full. We walked by all the cars, searching for fishy stickers or rod tubes in backseats. Determining that this was a big river, we'd just driven all the way out here, and the ratio of anglers to cars was not that high, we geared up. I swapped out my trusty hip pack for the daypack, as I do on most 'hike' trips. It was filled to the brim with snacks, rain jackets, and water, with all fishing essentials pinned here and there.
Jacob doesn't hike unless there's the return of fishing, a guaranteed pot of gold at the end of a rainbow if you will. Which is why these are my favorite kind of fishing trips, I get to hike with Jacob because the bribe of trout always works.
Read moreWhere Do You Go?
What do people who aren't 'outdoorsy' do to get away? This is a question I often ask myself, but since I don't know any such people, I suppose it will have to remain a mystery. Bowling?
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