Since my family and I moved up to the PACNW there has been one particular station of convenience that has served my needs well, especially for the months of July and August. The summer months began to creep in and a record heat wave began to grip central Oregon as I was just beginning to relish all of the opportunities that were present for massive fish or epic hatches. The images of school bus sized brown trout filled the internet and soon began to penetrate my mind. I must seek them out.
So back to the previously described routine of visiting my creepy gas station repetitively. Coffee in the morning. River side beers in the afternoon. Snacks. Gas. beer. coffee. snacks. gas. coffee. Sigh.
One morning as the light first Crested the evergreens and the mist rose up from my spot on the river, my creepy gas station coffee quickly losing its heat I sat down and had a seldom used fly fall from my box and into my hand. Less than 30 minutes later 2 brown trout in excess of 20 inches had graced my Hands. as I contemplated the end to the season on this stretch of water I began to get sad that my relationship with my creepy old gas station would probably also come to an end. Dan would still have the coffee made for other patrons, probably less depraved and insane than I but still I would miss it.
As I drove back by on the way home for the last time i considered the emotions that i had felt in that parking lot or at the pump. anger, regret, joy, sadness. The creepy old gas station is the collector of many moments that we don’t even realize. Its a shame to have to move on from one to another but hey in central Oregon, its about to be steelhead season. And i just so happen to know of another, even creepier gas station that will welcome me in for the next 3 months.