may 23 2003.
morning (and other various times)
hot creek ranch ramblings
holy shit the weather is beautiful up here. nothing but sun and the rare cloud
or two. it has become progressively hotter each day i've been here. the fishing
gods in their mercy have decided not to release water from twin lakes this year
(at least until i leave anyway), so the water's been low and clear for the first
time in so many years. too good to be true for this time of year. even the wind
has behaved for the most part. the fishing on the one hand has been a little
slower than year's past ... the hatches haven't really taken off yet, too hot
for baetis, too early for caddis i suspect, so they're feeding below surface
again. that's ok too. i've got a new emerger or two to try (some of which worked
like a charm!). i had some fine company for a few days this year, so the week in
solitary never came to pass. it's made it seem more of a vacation than a retreat
this time. oddly enough i've been dreaming up a storm this week. i don't usually
remember them, but i sure have been having some up here. don't really know if
it's the wine, the altitude, the tiredness, the relaxation, or a combination of
everything. anywhoo ... it's been great up here, and for the first time in i
don't know how many months and months i'm actually feeling pretty damn good and
at peace with the world. now if i can just hold on to that once i get back to
town i'll be just fine. lots of nature up here .. had a snake run (slither) in
front of me the other day (not two inches from my knees), found a few others out
walking, looked at some big (and i mean big) beetles who seemed to stick their
butts out at me as i walked by (is that an insult or a defense?), saw two
coyotes with a total of seven legs, caught a dragonfly (and let me tell you that
was a bizarre and unnerving experience), and fought off some of the biggest
moths i've ever seen (finally learned to live in peace with one for the last two
days). anyway, this is enough about this last week ... it's almost time to drive
back, get some bread and start the routine over for another year. i'm putting up
some pictures of the place when i get back, got some nice ones this year. so now
i'm going fishing, hoping to catch one more, and hoping this won't be the last
time i fish up here this year.
