Spiritual Encounters

I value close encounters of the spiritually uplifting kind. Fishing trips always seem to deliver in this regard. Yesterday was no exception. Fishing Brother Darrell Riley and I went to Silver Lake in Dover, Delaware for our mandatory relief and reality check. Although catching lots of fish is fun, the most rewarding part of the experience is the connection with nature and other people. Sometimes, it's just the two of us and other times, we encounter strangers who usually don't remain as such for very long. There is healing in retreat from the stifling effects of over thinking and over doing. Our goal was to disengage and submit to our natural interests. Yeah, fishing was the name of the game, but there was and is always much more to it.

We met a handful of interesting and wonderful people. We first encountered a group consisting of a middle aged black woman and a young white couple. They were out enjoying themselves as a family. That's right, I said as a family. The younger people were very respectful and caring toward the older lady. I could tell that they had a lot of love and respect for each other. Even though they lacked money and other resources, and they were running low on everything except love, energy and a zest for life, they obviously knew how to make the most of the time they chose to spend together. The positive atmosphere was contagious.

Later, along came an older gentleman, who during the course of conversation, disclosed that he was 68 years old (He looked more like he was in his early 50's). This man just lost his mother last week and was in town from North Carolina to settle her affairs. He said he needed a break from dealing with emotions caused by his mother's death and said that he had seen us fishing and laughing and thought it would be good for him to come on over and join us.

Turns out, he was a "Man of Means" and when he saw that the other group did not have enough bait and refreshments, he said, "I'll be right back." The man got up off the ground, got in his car and drove to the store and bought everything he could think of to add to total strangers' day. I was in awe of the kindness of the true nature of man... when allowed to be shared unconditionally.

To sum up the day, it was beautiful day, shared with beautiful people.

The Fishing Was Pretty Crappie

Ah Ha! I bet you thought that was a typo in the heading. Nope. I meant to do that (clever eh?) Anyway, as stated, the fishing last Saturday was all about catching some pretty crappies down at our favorite pond in Milford, Delaware. It's funny how sometimes you just are in the right place at the right time. Well, that's how it was for the Fishing Brothers. We started off at Garrison Lake in Smyrna, but there wasn't much happening, so we bounced on down the road. Now, normally we have our favorite pocket at our place in Milford all to ourselves. However, this time, there was a guy and his son there... I was thinking, awwww mannn... But, I guess the fella was not diggin' the way the Fishing Brothers looked... So, before we could hook-up our gear, that duo was out of there. No problem, mate. First cast, 3/4 pound crappie... second cast... 1.1 pound crappie... third cast... 3/4 pound crappie... and it just kept going on and on all day long. The highlight of the day was watching brother Darrell earn his first citation for 2009 for his catch of the day a strapping 12 inch crappie with a 9.5 inch waistline. I sure wish I could tell you exactly where we were... But, you know how it is.

Peace and good fishing to you.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

There is much to be said for not participating in the cares of the world. Today, my niece, my daughter and I headed out on our first fishing trip together to Breck’s Mill on the Brandywine River, despite the heat wave. You see we march to the beat of our own drum. We are not participating in the recession and we are not hiding in-doors if it gets a little hot out. We value our freedom and we aim to enjoy every bit of it.

While tossing lures and landing bluegills, I noticed another adventurous soul standing boldly in the shallows. The gentleman’s name was Jay and he was a fly-fisherman. Jay had his share of luck with “smallies” and bluegills today. You could tell by his presentation that he was an experienced angler. I asked Jay what patterns he was using and he said he was having luck on “poppers” and dry flies.

It was really good to see that my family and I were not the only ones who were ignoring worldly distractions and weather reports. Jay, if you read this, Man, it was a pleasure meeting you and keep right on fishing and living.

Serious Fishermen

It is always good to get away for a few hours and wind the reel and unwind the mind. That’s all we need – everything else is a bonus. A serious fisherman will drop a line anywhere. That’s why I don’t have any fish as pets … I would probably breakout the number 10 hooks and 2lb test and have at it - in the aquarium. I know that sounds messed up, but hey, “To thine own self, be true…” The biggest bass I have ever caught was not “meant” to be caught. I figure that if a man has to fork over the bucks for a fishing license, then he ought to be able to take advantage of opportunities that “should” be readily available. I live by the credo, “Make it happen.”

Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier Closed

There is 'something fishy' about the closure of the Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier story in the News Journal. I'm thinking that if we fishermen want certain things, we need to be prepared to fight for them... with our money and our votes. I buy fishing licenses ever year and I have yet to find a state park with free admission - that is the price we should pay for enjoying the pier (although I would not mind paying extra to use the pier). It is probable that some deficiencies in public services have resulted from neglect, waste, fraud and abuse. For example, I've seen several roads paved and repaved in the span of a few months, while others look as if they were intended for travel by horse and buggy. Maybe if we fishermen yell, "Fore!" before each cast our concerns might be heard.

Latest Fishing Trip

Sunday After Service...

Well, the brothers were at it again. Went to church as usual, but to my surprise, service ended a little early. I wondered, hmmm... what should I do with this extra time? It didn't take long for me to come up with something. I called up Fishing Brother Darrell and asked him if he want to go... (Yep, you guessed it)... Fishing. Man, we went to this little spot not far from Darrell's house and started catching fish as soon as we cast out. About an hour into the trip, this guy and his wife pulled up and got out of their truck. I soon recognized the brother as someone I used to fish with years ago. We had not seen each other in about ten years. After catching up on old times, we got on the subject of my artwork. I showed them some of the prints that I travel around with and sell. Well, they bought three prints right there on the spot and are coming to my next exhibit to get some more. This fishing trip was off the hook (pardon the pun). We caught a load of fish and I made a few sales... I just want to point out a little fact... My profit from the sales totaled exactly double what I offered at church that morning.

History the Old and the New

I don’t believe that I expected to fall in love with angling. Sure, growing up I did a lot of fishing. I used to live two blocks from the Christina River and frequently went there to catch catfish and perch with a homemade drop line. During the early years, it was usually an exercise in improvisation. I pretty much made due with what tackle I could find lying around on the ground and digging up a few worms. It didn't matter that I didn’t own a rod or tackle box. No, what mattered was that I loved being outside, hanging out near the water and trying to catch some fish.

Fast forward 35 years and the passion still remains the same. The only difference is today I have more financial resources. However, the downside is that there are less natural resources. I am so glad that my humble beginnings taught me how to extract the maximum amount of joy from the minimum amount of availability. It doesn’t take much to make me happy when I am out casting a line.

My brother Darrell and I are life-long buddies and constant fishing companions. We have fished most of Delaware's rivers, lakes and ponds – all while fishing from the shore. No sir, we do not own a boat, we don’t have the latest top-of-the-line rods and reels either. But, we can hang with the best of them. Darrell and I fish with our souls and our imagination, not with our wallets. We do it for no other reason except the love of fishing and angling and having a good time.