salvelinusfontinalis
Active member
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2006
- Messages
- 7,284
It's been an interesting ride to say the least, having fished over 400+ streams in PA now. I've found places I love, places I wish I lived near so I could fish them after work, hell I've even found places I was ready to build a stick hut and live the rest of my days out as a trout bum. I started fly fishing at age 10 and now I'm 37 but where do I belong? It's been an on going question for me because this sport has lead me down so many roads it makes my head spin. Today, well suddenly, I just plain figured it out.
Finally.
There is a distant web page in a "not so far away land " that made me realize where I belong. I'm a 1%er, not the 1% as other forums decide them, but the 1% that finally decides it's okay to be an ***** about what you believe in and to make a difference no matter what your circumstances.
Let me explain...
I grow up fishing wild brook trout streams in my youth, graduating to limestone springs, to river systems, back to limestone springs, back to Brookies back to .....what was I on exactly? That's the point. I love fly fishing in general and I love the various circumstances that come with it, all of them varying on degrees and skill. Still what am I passionate enough about to save but also equates into my daily life?
I've been apart of over 10 trout unlimited chapters in PA throughout my life. I've thought about making new ones, I've thought about making my own non-profit organizations and I've thought about re-writing the entire bible on conservation because our current situations have flaws, as expected. I like to think, or at least hope, that we all have had these thoughts. We are fly fisherman! Be proud because you should be! We have passion! We have gull to stand up for what we believe is right in the face of much adversity! Still I've been unsure and bouncing around from place to place, all the while life happens and goes on as it should. So where do I belong?
I'll tell you. Right about here:
Why? I'll tell you.
This place is where it all started for me. In the pic it is summer time during a drought but I can assure you it makes nice plunge pools over boulders and is everything you would enjoy, at least now. When I was a kid and around the time I started fly fishing, the PFBC stocked this little creek. One year the landowner posted it after stocking and the PFBC made a fuss, rightfully so and they stopped stocking it as much as they did. My father and I had permission to access to 100 + acres of woods and we had our own fun park for months on end. I was hooked. Today this stream holds a wild brown trout population that are surely descendants from previous and that years stocking and you can fish them through walk in only.
My point?
Well it hit me today. I wish I could be on the Lackawanna River every evening catching pig browns, I wish I could be on the Letort every winter when the sun comes up in the morning and the mist rises off the stream but my place is here. My daughter is here, my life is here and my heritage is here. Looking at that picture I often think, "what's around the bend?"
Find your place and make a change. There is another stream not far from this one that could be very special, that I've advocated for years. But now, well I'm about to get very loud.
Get loud for our streams please. Find your place and make a difference. We don't have much time on this earth .
I'll still see the morning mist on my beloved Letort enough before I die but everything I hope to change is right here. Over the years my intention here has been to inspire, I hope my journeys have accomplished this for you, because finally I'm inspired too.
The time is now. Don't waste another second.
Finally.
There is a distant web page in a "not so far away land " that made me realize where I belong. I'm a 1%er, not the 1% as other forums decide them, but the 1% that finally decides it's okay to be an ***** about what you believe in and to make a difference no matter what your circumstances.
Let me explain...
I grow up fishing wild brook trout streams in my youth, graduating to limestone springs, to river systems, back to limestone springs, back to Brookies back to .....what was I on exactly? That's the point. I love fly fishing in general and I love the various circumstances that come with it, all of them varying on degrees and skill. Still what am I passionate enough about to save but also equates into my daily life?
I've been apart of over 10 trout unlimited chapters in PA throughout my life. I've thought about making new ones, I've thought about making my own non-profit organizations and I've thought about re-writing the entire bible on conservation because our current situations have flaws, as expected. I like to think, or at least hope, that we all have had these thoughts. We are fly fisherman! Be proud because you should be! We have passion! We have gull to stand up for what we believe is right in the face of much adversity! Still I've been unsure and bouncing around from place to place, all the while life happens and goes on as it should. So where do I belong?
I'll tell you. Right about here:
Why? I'll tell you.
This place is where it all started for me. In the pic it is summer time during a drought but I can assure you it makes nice plunge pools over boulders and is everything you would enjoy, at least now. When I was a kid and around the time I started fly fishing, the PFBC stocked this little creek. One year the landowner posted it after stocking and the PFBC made a fuss, rightfully so and they stopped stocking it as much as they did. My father and I had permission to access to 100 + acres of woods and we had our own fun park for months on end. I was hooked. Today this stream holds a wild brown trout population that are surely descendants from previous and that years stocking and you can fish them through walk in only.
My point?
Well it hit me today. I wish I could be on the Lackawanna River every evening catching pig browns, I wish I could be on the Letort every winter when the sun comes up in the morning and the mist rises off the stream but my place is here. My daughter is here, my life is here and my heritage is here. Looking at that picture I often think, "what's around the bend?"
Find your place and make a change. There is another stream not far from this one that could be very special, that I've advocated for years. But now, well I'm about to get very loud.
Get loud for our streams please. Find your place and make a difference. We don't have much time on this earth .
I'll still see the morning mist on my beloved Letort enough before I die but everything I hope to change is right here. Over the years my intention here has been to inspire, I hope my journeys have accomplished this for you, because finally I'm inspired too.
The time is now. Don't waste another second.
