Of course all of these places have names and locations that have been mapped and most likely explored by many before us. Yet, somehow I can come to these waters again and again as if I am the first one to have ever hunted a trout here. A suspension of reality mixed with a strong dose of respect for nature and its ability to renew itself each day, is what I believe allows me to be awed each time I approach even the most fished waters. However beautiful these streams are if they are those that have been written about time and time again and require special designations (gold medal etc…) in order to protect the quality of the fishery, these are not the places that the seasoned fisherman typically dreams of. It is instead, that little backwater lake of stream where you pulled out that fat native 15” brook trout with its bright blue spots that had no business being there. Or, even that pond in the middle of town that nobody ever fishes where you miraculously managed to pull out a 20” brown.
And so I catch myself again in mid-summer talking with my fishing buddies about last winter’s exploits and how we're able to catch huge tail-water trout on tiny midges while we sip a cold one waiting for today’s hatch to take off. Its mid-afternoon and we sit on the bank of a favorite back water stream after what we agree was a mildly productive morning. By now we all agree that even the most remote water on even the best days doesn’t produce the type or number of fish that such a day allow us to expect. And so the discussion has to be had…”What exactly is a good day of fishing?” Many words in many books and articles have been dedicated to the topic of size vs. numbers vs. species and the progression of the fly fisherman as we “mature” in our passion. The experience that prevails to answer such a question for me lies in my own backwater experiences.
The answer to such questions is as personal as your favorite food or car or for that matter how you order your coffee from your local barista. Fly fishing is an experience, an experience based on your interpretation which is as individual as our DNA. Each day brings with it something new and different that can arouse emotions as unique as the day itself. And so it is each time we are blessed enough to journey to our favorite backwater whether it be near or far. Some of my favorite days on the water have been in the middle of a snow storm while giant snowflakes soaked my water “resistant” jacket and left me absolutely frozen to the bone. All the while trout were gorging on tiny midges and readily taking the dry flies that I felt so privileged to be presenting to them.