Fishin' ........

     Ah the ancient art of fishing.  A means of providing
food for man for thousands of years.  A simple stick,
some sort of cordage and a sharp piece of bone or even
a simple thorn off of a tree fashioned into a hook.  It
provided many a meal for many a families over the years.
    As time progressed man made many improvements to
the process.  Simple sticks led to bamboo  poles .. then steel
rods then fiberglass then graphite then Kevlar.   We added
spools to hold our line.. then reels, then spinning reels, then
free spool bait casting reels  With these new reels new lines
were developed. First cotton, then nylon then braided nylon,
then monofilement, to the new co-polymer lines with
amazingly high break strength in a almost thread like diameter.
The choice of hooks on the market today is unbelievable.
There is a specialty hook made for almost every application
Special bends .. special colors,, laser sharpened, you name it
there is a hook made for everything.
     So why do I bring this up?  Well today I went fishing.  Not
to provide food for my family of course but simply to enjoy
nature and practice this age old tradition.  Of course I didn't
use a stick and a thorn.  I instead opted for a fiberglass boat
with a high powered motor, an auxiliary electric motor for easier
boat positioning,  Two sonar units to tell me depth, water temp,
show drop offs, structure  and fish, eight rods (spinning and
casting style) loaded with state of the art lures and a tackle box
loaded with enough extra lures to choke a horse. Oh yea.. I
forgot .. two extra totes packed with probably thirty to thirty
five packages of plastic worms , craws, lizards and assorted
creatures that a fish may want to eat.
      Yesterday I notice that both the trailer and the boat have
expired tags.  A quick stop at the BMV will take care of that..
$71.00 later I'm out the door and ready for the next days fun.
Almost ready.. fill up gas tank on boat $53.50.. fill oil reservoir
with 2 cycle oil $18.00 swing by and pick up my fishing license
$19.00 and 'bam' just like that I'm set to go.
     Up and on the road before dawn..temps in the high thirty's
but I'm sure it will get better.  I was wrong.  Forgot my cell phone.
forgot my watch, forgot my sunglasses.  But little did I know the
fun was just starting.  The lake was calm and  beautiful when I
launched.  I discovered that was just a teaser.  Twenty minuets
into the day the wind kicked up, whitecaps covered the water
reminiscent of the movie The Perfect Storm.  It was almost
impossible to hold the boat in position, With every cast the
wind took my lure and line into every tree , bush or dock within
fifty yards of the boat.  It was like the trees had magnets in them.
Add to this waves crashing over the front of the boat sending
water spray in my face every few minuets ( did I mention it was
cold)  and I now have some idea of how  the Titanic passengers
must have felt.  Well after about eight hours of this I decided I
had enough fun for one day and headed home.  Chilled to the bone
two lost lures,  no fish and a sinus headache.  But I didn't fall in and
I didn't break anything so that's a plus !  I think tomorrow i'm going
to go out and find me a willow branch and a sharp piece of chicken
bone.  I haven't quite figured out the 'string thang' yet but I'll think
of something.  I'm beginning to think I'd be better off sitting on a
'bucket on the bank' .  At least there I can build a fire and keep warm.