Do you remember when?

[Earl W Story]

   Can you remember not being able to sleep before a fishing trip due to the excitement? Or the limitless possibilities any body of water held, and just knowing that you and your Zebco 202 could catch anything that swam there? 

   At what point do we lose this sense of wonder at the world? Can you pinpoint when cynicism began to creep into the equation? 

   This was on my mind this Easter morning as I watched the sunrise above my favorite small lake. As well as contemplating the Resurrection of our Saviour. 

   From now on I'm going to strive to rekindle the simple joy of life. Slow down and live each day instead of just get through it. I miss that!

   

   

[DAVID L EITUTIS]

OUTSTANDING EARL !!!!!!!! There comes a time in everyones life when they say why not slow down and just relax. Seems you are at that point now and I have been for years. Yeah I know that things come up and everyone wants something from ya , but that is not important to me as it used to be.  I try to make a better use of time when it comes to tying bugs or whatever. Doesn't seem to be enough time in the spring to do everything so now I do nothing unless it's really important to me . Most cases what ever it is can wait for a better day . 

  TODAY EASTER here is just beautiful and really just a tease for spring . I think fishing here is still a couple weeks off and won't rush it this year like I did last year. Chance of snow again here next week , so I guess if I get around to it I'll do all the stuff I"ve been putting off !!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
   HAVE FUN and glad ya posted this Earl..........

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

I revisit my childhood every time I go fishing and that's quite often for me.......It allows me to reflect on both grandfathers who passed away over 30 years ago but always took the time to support us grandchildren especially the ones like me that loved to fish. They were famous for sayings like "every day fishing is a free day", of course I didn't realize that until I was in the Navy deploying around the world and subsequently a ship repair worker. For years I took a can of worms to Monroe Sharp's farm near Folsom, Louisiana where he owned or had access to seven different ponds full of freshwater fish, but one in particular that he dug close to the old farm house so dozens of kids and grandchildren could sit in lawn chairs and on buckets to catch fish together on holidays like Easter Sunday.....I miss those days and although many of our settings are different as many of the family farms have gone by the wayside, I still do all I can with Owen, Cody and now Myla to make these days some of their best even if they never tell me that for whatever reason....So enjoy your day everyone and remember to enjoy the journey........   

[Steve Totten]

One of my favorite memories is when as a child, going camping with my parents.  US forest service campgrounds in northern Michigan, the smell of coffee from a percolator over an oak fire, bacon cooking in a cast iron skillet.  Having to swim across a creek to get to my favorite stump where the small mouth bass hid all day long.  Ahh yes, the memories.

[Bob Parker]

Thanks, Earl.  I know just how you feel.  After 17 years in school, then 60 years of working every day, I am now using my time to fish, to build RC model airplanes, and be with my grandchildren.

This week I made two trips to my friend's small pond a couple of miles away in Central Iowa.  This pond was really hurt by the drought we've had; the water was about 3 1/2 feet lower than last summer. Last spring there were nice largemouths and some 2-pound cats, and lots of bluegill in this pond, so I thought that most of them would still be there. The ice was gone, but the wind was strong from the south one day and from the north the next.  It was hard to cast to the deep water from the dock on the west side.  I saw very few bugs light on the water, so I tied on a #12 weighted brown cricket fly and tried to let it sink.  No action.

Next day I put on a #10 Yellow Bully's Spider with some lead wire at the bend. Wind was still too strong to cast it to the deep part.  Also, it was cold.  Still no action.  I almost went to my UL spinning outfit, but went home instead.  But I fished in 2013!