Norman

 

Meat and midges

My old Clacka, still in the hands of Dutch John full-timer Trevor Mattinson.  

Bluebird days trying to break the fish out of their winter slump, but not helping the BWO's too much.  Just a light showing on A, none on B.  Afternoon streamers better than mornings.

Getting back to normal, enjoying the few days of warm before the storm, following the coldest airmass of the season.  Streamers turned some nice fish.  Tim couldn't keep 'em off the midge larvae.  Just one-timers on dries for the most part.

Been a rough stretch.  Three brushes with death in the last 12 years.  Cancer in '09. Two seconds from certain death from a reckless boater in '20. Now a heart attack while on the lake Jan. 26.  Air-lifted out, but not reaching the hospital for over 3 hours.  How many more lives can I have left?😕

Worst part was that doctors advised against foreign air travel and tarpon fishing in remote areas within two weeks of the event.  Fucked up a perfectly planned repeat of last Feb. with  perfect tides.  I coulda done it.  Shoulda?  Hindsight.  Death is one thing, but missing 8 days in Campeche will haunt for months.

Now I'm fishing local a little, working a treadmill and bike over an hour at a whack, and counting down to June.  Just had a shot in the shoulder to hopefully buy some time for the nagging torn rotator cuff that cut into my casting hours last season.  I'll be bringing home a new fishing buddy this weekend too.  

Norman

Live every day.  Don't put off 'till tomorrow what you can do today.  The best quote I ever got from a client: "Jimmy, you aren't going to be laying there on your death bed saying, 'boy, I sure wish I would have worked that week instead of taking off and going fishing.' "  Covid got him 13 months ago.

100 percent blocked for over 3 hours.

Modern medicine in about 45 minutes.  (And people say the costs are too high!🙄)

Pedal to the metal . . .