04-23-2003, 12:57 AM
[cool]Yes, Leaky, my friend. I have always believed that a good memory of a great fish...whether lost, or released on purpose...is much better than having one in the freezer to show off until the fins are all broken and the flesh freezer burned beyond palatability. And those little added alements, of a special furry companion, getting caught up in the moment...how could you ever put a price on that?
The fish will always be there waiting for a rematch...even if only in your memories. Those fish live forever, and it is almost disappointing sometimes to actually whip them into submission.
I used to have a spot on the lower Provo, just on the outskirts of Orem, that held a special brown. It wasn't huge. It was probably about the size of the one you lost. But, it was a cagy fish, and it had rejected the best of my flies and lures over the whole summer.
Then, one early autumn morning, I suffered one of my greatest disappointments in life. I sneaked up to the hideout of that lovely fish, only to find another fisherman there...with my fish pinned to a stringer at the bottom of the pool.
I watched in dismay as the "angler" lobbed a big chunk of cheese out in the water and let it float down through the hole time after time. When he noticed me watching he merely commented "Well, I guess that's the only one in here today." I had to fight with myself to keep from releasing "my" fish from that guy's stringer. I hope he enjoyed eating it more than I had pursuing it. I doubt it.
If nothing else, maybe you can coach Bud on how to use a camera. I suspect he sees a lot of fishing scenes the rest of us would very much like to see too.
What are your plans for the summer? Are you going to go play with the smallies up on the Snake this year?
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The fish will always be there waiting for a rematch...even if only in your memories. Those fish live forever, and it is almost disappointing sometimes to actually whip them into submission.
I used to have a spot on the lower Provo, just on the outskirts of Orem, that held a special brown. It wasn't huge. It was probably about the size of the one you lost. But, it was a cagy fish, and it had rejected the best of my flies and lures over the whole summer.
Then, one early autumn morning, I suffered one of my greatest disappointments in life. I sneaked up to the hideout of that lovely fish, only to find another fisherman there...with my fish pinned to a stringer at the bottom of the pool.
I watched in dismay as the "angler" lobbed a big chunk of cheese out in the water and let it float down through the hole time after time. When he noticed me watching he merely commented "Well, I guess that's the only one in here today." I had to fight with myself to keep from releasing "my" fish from that guy's stringer. I hope he enjoyed eating it more than I had pursuing it. I doubt it.
If nothing else, maybe you can coach Bud on how to use a camera. I suspect he sees a lot of fishing scenes the rest of us would very much like to see too.
What are your plans for the summer? Are you going to go play with the smallies up on the Snake this year?
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