It’s April, early season and I’m on a plane to Mountain Home to visit relatives and go see the full eclipse. I subscribe to exactly one magazine, “Tail” about salt water fly fishing. My travel tenkara kit in my small backpack shoved under the seat in front of me, I read Al Q’s piece on Winter SWFF in the Los Angeles area. I’m really looking forward to our family trip there for a week in June. A quick walk to the beach to target Yellowfin Croaker, Corbina, Barred Surf Perch and other hard pulling beach species.
My fishing has changed. No longer am I satiated with the weekend trips to the local creeks, I’m not done yet I’m done with that drug. It has lost its appeal. The high has been replaced with the knowledge that a city of 5 million is near, gone are the days of a pristine stream. Even the secrets have trails, scuffed up moss, rocks turned over, line hanging from limbs, yes, I’ll go on occasion to introduce a friend to tenkara but gone are the endless trips with a 1-weight fly rod hunting elusive browns that were once so plentiful.
Fly fishing fresh water, mountain stream fishing or what the Japanese call, “Keiryu” has become special again. Tenkara, the sewing machine precise brother of lite line fly fishing has become second nature now. I’ve gotten beyond the crowd phase of it, it’s mine now, I don’t have to share it but I still do with just few friends that have been at it as long as I have.
I’m busy though and have many demands, my work is intense, even though I am nearing retirement, I’ve cut back my time at work, that extra day (Friday) still isn’t enough time back. Back in 2016, I sat in the van with Miwa san talking as we headed to the city of Takayama, “Adam san, I have maybe 15 seasons of fishing left.” It didn’t hit home but now it does, I’m 63, and probably at or on the other side of my game. I’ll never be any better and that’s ok, I’ll be more experienced.
My recent trip to the San Juan for Honryu was fantastic! We had been talking about it for so long, planning. But that too is behind us. It went well, 12 men and one baby (I’m not sure I’ll come back) and awesome fishing although the catching wasn’t so good for some.
Anyway back to Tail, it’s about the best magazine on fishing. The articles target my interest. Recipes that I’ll try, drinks I want to mix and reflective pieces like James P. Spica Jr’s, “Travel Meloncholy” and Jonathan Hsia’s, “The Undertow: In Defense of Fishing Journals” hits home. These men write from experience not to teach the young but to connect, they close the gap through their stories.
I’m sold, not on the magazine, my favorite but on the lifestyle it reflects on.
It’s spring, I’m looking forward to summer, the coast, SWFF, fishing the edge…
I’m always chasing the tale.
I can’t wait.
