I recall fishing with older gents years ago. Often, I would see them taking breaks, leaving the water, be it a lake or river, to sit and stare. The conditions weren’t particularly harsh. Why were they not fishing at the optimum times?! I would power on hour after hour, catching fish and shaking my head to the fun the older gents were missing.

Those gents are long gone now. Moved on to quieter waters. These days, things have changed. I don’t fish nearly as much. When I do, I put in a half hour or so and then find a place to sit. I smoke my briar, stare at the water, maybe take some photos. My mind is not as energized to fish for hours on end. I am now one of those older gents. Things changed along the way and the urgency isn’t there. I surely enjoy the outdoors, the waters, the imagining of fish and habitat. Yet, a break along the shore is now as good as the throwing a line for hours on end. Now I see.

Oregon Coastal River © SwittersB