Birthday Gifts And Bows

We all know that the significance of birthdays changes once we enter adulthood.  The older we get, the less we notice them.  And the OLDER we get, the less we probably want to notice them.  There are, however, perks that come with that one little day we claim to have come into this world.  On occasion they give us a free pass.  An excuse.  A reason, however contrived, to do something we enjoy.  When those little multicolored candles went out earlier in the week I had wished for a gift.  This gift would hopefully be covered in big shiny bows.

The birthday and fish gods smiled down upon me.  I received the gift I wished for.  It was a day spent doing one of the things I enjoy most in this world.  And it was all covered with (read "filled with") big multicolored shiny bows.

The color of some fish blows me away, and leaves me grinning.

The day was spent with three other awesome gentlemen who share my love of fishing.  Gilbert, Jared, and Shane.  Gilbert runs two blogs.  One is called Fly Tying 123, and the other is Gil Fly Fishing, both of which are awesome sites.  Jared maintains another called The Pursuit, and is an excellent writer.  Shane, as most people who read this already know, is a common fishing buddy and runs The Fish Hunter Chronicles.  All are great sites and worth checking out.  These guys are top quality company, and excellent companions to have on ones birthday.

Ready.  Set.  Go!

Hasta La Vista, Bowie.

Can't beat the colors of a wild fish.

Steelhead, in Idaho?  Heck yeah we have em'.  But is a fish that doesn't go to the ocean a steelhead?  Ha ha, that one is for you Jared.

Baby for the day.

Even messed up fish need some love.

It was one of those perfect days.  We were on the water early.  The fish made us work, just a little, in the beginning.  Eventually things were on fire.  We left just as the sun was nearing the hills.  Then the evening was spent on a date with my beautiful wife.  It was the best birthday I have had for some time.  Thanks to everyone who was a part of it.

Night Fishing Does Not Suck (nor does chocolate pudding)

Maybe the thought that fishing "just isn't good right now" is a good thing to think during the winter.  Maybe having times when the fishing is not good anywhere would be healthy.  Maybe it would keep me off the water.

NAHHHH..... 

And besides, the fishing IS always good...  somewhere (to my wife's chagrin).  This is where self control is necessary.  Sometimes I feel like a fat kid with a giant bowl of chocolate pudding sitting right in front of my face.  It stares me down.  It calls to me.  The sweet creamy chocolatey goodness beckons.  Take away the spoon and there will still be trouble. Oh the turmoil of living in southeastern Idaho.  It is a trial, but alas, it can be survived.

If the pudding sits there long enough, there will be aftermath.  You know what follows.  Pudding is everywhere in one great and glorious mess!  All over like a baby with a birthday cake.  And so it goes, just another day (or night) spent smearing that chocolate pudding all over my face.

As the sun sank into what seemed like the belly of the earth, Shane and I stood for a moment to drink in the view.  The fishing had already been pretty good.  We were headed back to the truck to grab a bite to eat, warm up, and let dark settle in a bit. Who knew the fires of Mordor could be so pretty. 

After our break the plan was to go in search of nocturnal footballs with fins.  Having afternoon classes makes it difficult to get much time on the water during the short daylight hours of winter.  I suppose that is part of the reason for exploring night-fishing possibilities, even though snow is on the ground.  Truth be told, the weather has been warming and we probably would not go out if it were much colder.  De-icing the guides every cast is no bueno. 

We did quite a bit of searching before we did any catching.  The wind was howling, which makes sharp streamers hurtling through the air seem all the more ominous.  It's always a rush to hear a "whoosh" and feel a puff of air right by your ear.  The wind was pushing into the bank, which must have been the ticket.  Bring on the food-conveyor belt.  We would cast parallel to the bank, let it sink, strip strip, let it sink, strip strip, and POW!  Sometimes we had to practically land the flies on the bank, but it was worth it because more often than not it would result in a take.  When we kicked our lights on, injured minnows could be seen floating around, trying to swim.  No wonder the fish were stacked against the bank.  They were playing sloppy seconds.  Things started slowing down a bit around 12:30am and we decided to call it a night. 

A belated ode to the Superbowl.  Football fish.

Black and white, or straight black streamers were the go-to flies.  Floating lines made it easier to slow down the retrieve, though we still caught fish on the sinking lines.  Night fishing during February in Idaho still blows my mind.  It makes me all the more excited to explore new night locations throughout the summer.  If you haven't tried it yet you are missing out.  It is work, and can be a bit awkward until you find your groove, but it pays high dividends.  Get out and look for your bowl of chocolate pudding.  It can be messy, but I can tell you this, it does not suck... no, not one bit.