"The Evening Campfire" from
The Herald, April 4, 2010
Why We Go Trout Fishing
Spring has arrived, and so has
trout season in southeast Pennsylvania, with the opener
in the rest of the state scheduled for April 17th. In
the meantime, we have special regulations areas, such as
Neshannock Creek down in Volant and wild trout streams
open for fishing. At this time of year, no wonder young
men’s thoughts (and also those of women, children and
older men) turn to love. We love trout fishing! Here’s
why I think it’s so important to so many of us.
First, there’s the thrill of the
catch. For those of us who don’t go ice-fishing, a trout
is our first fish of the year. It’s exciting to hike up
a stream, breathe in the cold spring air and read the
flowing waters. We toss our lure or bait into a pool and
spot the flash of silver as the trout attacks. One
second later we set the hook and feel the pure, wild
energy of a sportfish on the line. Later we wet our
hands and hold the trout for one brief moment to admire
the graceful shape, the prominent fins, the artful spots
and speckles, the shades of faint color on belly and
back. Then we release it into chill waters to swim again
another day.
We also love the natural places
that trout fishing takes us to. Wild brook trout
especially make us wander deep into the spring and
summer forest, where we may encounter deer, squirrels,
wild turkeys, black bears and more. And where we walk up
on one idyllic vision after another: the sun’s morning
rays angling through dark green hemlock boughs, runs and
rivulets of moving waters flowing gently downhill from
one pool to another, massive sandstone boulders that
stand sentinel above the valley floor and budding
hardwoods that will launch in May up the hillsides into
an outdoor spectacle of greenery.
And we slow down while fishing from
our harried, hurried regular lives to relax and forget
our watches and calendars, to claim woodland experiences
that remain rewarding and unchanging over the decades.
We gain healthful exercise and a calming of the mind. We
establish a connection with the outdoors and with
earlier people who lived much closer to the earth than
we do. We think about our own lives, what’s important
and what’s not, and we learn to treasure “being there”
among the ferns, wildflowers, oaks, chipmunks and
mountain laurel.
We contemplate the value of the
wild brook trout, our state fish, our symbol of rich
land, clean air and pure waters. We recognize the fact
that the presence or absence of sustaining populations
of wild trout speaks powerfully toward the health or
sickness of our public and private lands. The wild trout
fishing experience encourages us to rejuvenate and
preserve these outdoor places of uncommon beauty. We
resolve to join Trout Unlimited or Wildlife Forever, or
perhaps we just decide to carry a trash bag along from
now on as we walk the streams.
We also go trout fishing with
friends for the company of like minds and like values.
We enjoy the social experience of hiking upstream
together and whispering encouragement under the
hemlocks. We show off the fish we catch and make up
stories about the ones we lost to tell about later over
the campfire flames.
Other times our fishing experience
is a solitary, almost spiritual one. We wander from
glade to glade in the forest, and each little setting is
like a chapel, with sunlight streaming down between
branches to enlighten our journey. We banish petty
troubles and seek joy in the simple and ancient acts of
walking, casting, catching and walking some more. The
experience can make us healthier in body and mind and
soul.
For these reasons and more, each
trout fishing trip is a blessing and a wonderment to
cherish and repeat as often as possible.
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