Visiting Old Friends

As I approach retirement and our new life as road warriors begins, doesn’t that sound more adventurous than full-time RVing, we’re spending a lot of time visiting friends and family.  We’ll see everyone in the future, we just don’t know when, so we’re saying goodbye until then.

Weather has warmed enough to clear the ice off the waters up and down the Front Range of Colorado.  Having lived in Fort Collins for over twenty years, I’ve managed to fish nearly every public water within an hour or two of the house.  I say nearly, as you can never get to them all.  Every year “new” waters open to the public, often ponds associated with developments or new bike trails along rivers provide access. Further, every year waters once public disappear for a variety of reasons, such as Colorado Parks and Wildlife losing the leases on two in the area.

Some local waters were visited once or twice and didn’t merit more frequent visits.  Others became well known and trusted friends.  Proximity played a part in whether or not a pond became a good friend, especially those within minutes of the house or work.  But location isn’t everything.  Good friends tend to come through for you.

Whenever I’ve had time to fish the last couple weeks, be it minutes or hours, I’ve been visiting old friends.  Most have welcomed me, producing decent numbers of fish, and even a couple of surprises as good friends are prone to do.  I realize that there’s not enough time left before we hit the road to visit all my local friends.  There are over 100 fisheries within an hour of work and home.  Of those maybe twenty or so are good friends I visit regularly, more than I can get to in the next few days.

Over the years I’ve become well acquainted with my “friends.”  Learning their depths, vegetation, hidden brush and tree limbs, species . . .  Armed with that information on any given visit it’s often easy  to figure out where the fish are holding, effective patterns and presentations making catching far more likely.  Typically, the fish are plentiful, albeit smallish.  Still, as good friend often do they offer up a surprise or two on occasion.  This weekend was case in point when a local park pond produced a nice twenty inch rainbow along with the normal fare of bluegills, crappie, and bass.

Local “friends” are great to visit over lunch or after work, as I did today.  Had to fish over lunch hour as it will likely be the last time I take a break from work over lunch to fish.  Tomorrow, I’ll get a couple hours after work, likely the last time for that also.  These special times with close “friends” will continue, just not squeezed in between working hours. 

Wherever you live, it’s a good idea to make friends with your local waters, as friends almost always treat you right. So as we take to the road, there’s a mix of sadness that comes from bidding adieu to old friends and excitement that comes from making new ones.

First published 3/13/18 Flyrodn America.