These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

[Billy]

-a baitfish boil within casting range
-a pissed off smallmouth on the line
-a largemouth wake heading towards a popper
-the old outboard firing up
-an empty parking lot
-the smell of sage
-the crisp feel of fall
-line peeling off a reel
-putting on a clinic
-an indicator heading down
-a bull elk screaming
-slipping in on bedded buck
-a Soap Lake queen riding shotgun into the sticks with me

 

[Jacob Watrous]

The pre-dawn smell of saltwater
The strike and run of a hot fish
The warcry of a good reel as a fish takes line
The weight of a crab pot full of keeper dungies
Fishing from pre-dawn to past-sunset

BBQ
Smoker
Pressure Canner
Vacuum Sealer

 

[mcswny]

-Rooster eats
-Skipjack eats
-boatside musky eats
-boatside smallie eats
-carp eats
-bulltrout streamer eats
-even pikeminnow eats

Honestly, I’m reading this as you’re hungry. Need any snacks?

 

[Nick Clayton]

The smell of the first chinook of the season hitting the deck

Crisp October mornings on an empty area 9 beach, knowing each cast could possibly be an encounter with a 10lb plus hooknose. (Back when we could actually fish an area 9 beach in October)

 

[Tom Butler]

Fishing in the snow. Heck, fishing period.
Playing with the grand kids.
Having the house paid off, car and being sober.

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

-a bull elk screaming

Fishing in the snow.

These are great ones!

 

[Roper]

• A trout aggressively charging down a mop fly.
• Putting on a mop fly, after an uneventful session, knowing I’ll finally catch something.
• Tying mop flies.
• Looking at mop flies.
• Dreaming of mop flies.

I’m sensing a pattern here…

 

[Jacob Watrous]

I’m sensing a pattern here…

Only one.

 

[Roper]

The gang at the ranch for the Spring Fling
Fatties in S….y
Brookies in L..t
Lahontans in ….
beers in the Chesaw Tavern and the Pastime
Walking old logging spurs for grouse
Barrel aged ales
Irish whiskey
My girls, two and four legged…
in no particular order except the girls get first place…

 

[PhilR]

My fishing buddies, who are also some of my best friends.

 

[Clean Willy]

The sound of Red Wing Blackbirds in the cattails at lakes edge

 

[SculpinSwinger]

That predawn cup of coffee while wadering up in camp.

 

[Zak]

That moment when the cast, fly placement, and drift is juuuust right and a trout simply has to take it, and it does. Some famous angler described it as the fly being a beauty mark on the face of the river. I wish I could remember who...

 

[clarkman]

Jeez, lowly short-fin grayling gets no love eh?

You know, I think I passed over these only because the others a more visual....

 

[Dave Boyle]

Seeing the sun come up over the Cascades as you're heading through the 2 in the Skagit valley for a long fishing trip.
Hanging out at camp around the fire with my buds after a good days fishing, nice dinner, sipping scotch, having a great cigar and riotous banter.
Watching your indicator just slide away into the depths
Fishing at night in the pitch black on a river for sea run browns splashing all over.
Watching the water explode just after a big troot gently sucks in your emerger and it realizes... Ooooh shit, WTF!!

 

[troutstalker]

Showing up at my favorite fishing spot and no one else is there.

 

[Tim L]

Steve and Lue:
A shot of Crown
Another shot of Crown
Another shot of Crown
Another shot of Crown
Another shot of Crown
Another shot of Crown
Another shot of Crown
Another shot of Crown
Another shot of Crown
Another shot of Crown

 

[clarkman]

My fishing buddies, who are also some of my best friends.

I agree, that Mr. Chin guy is pretty cool.

 

[G_Smolt]

I wrote about a few of my favorite things for the inaugural issue of "Strung" in 2019...Decompression.

The online formatting is a bit dumb, but the sentiment remains the same. Props to the OP for the sound of gravel underfoot - still one of my favorite synesthetic triggers.

 

[O' Clarkii Lewisi]

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