Mediocre Fishing

After passing the ‘75 years of life’ milestone a few years back I started to question some of the old clichés like “you are only as old as you feel” or “age is just a number” as I hobbled through summer on a mysteriously swollen foot making me wonder if or when I’ll ever be able to wade a stream again. Apparently, years of slip sliding on rocks, boulders, and river slime along with decades of cold leaky waders have finally caught up with my feet. And though I have been relatively healthy to this point in life and can’t really complain, it came to me that this old age stuff “is going to take some getting used to,” as a long-time friend used to say.

Another sage old angler once advised me to make the most of my younger years while still being in good physical shape. In a way, I took that suggestion to heart. Fortunate enough to marry a woman who lived by the same philosophy, we both carved out creative lifestyles that allowed us to travel, fish, bird-watch and still make a living doing what we loved. My wife tutored dyslexic students throughout southwestern Montana and I made fishing rods with flexibility enough to take advantage of every hatch whenever they occurred throughout our region – and beyond. In the end, my feet paid the price. But then, I would rather have bad feet and a lifetime of good memories than good feet and a lifetime of regrets.

Foreseeing that days of diminished capacity would eventually come, I never believed they would ever get here until they finally did. On the up side though, I always have had a contingency plan in place for my “Golden Years” – just in case I needed one. Although I rarely floated rivers in a drift boat in favor of stalking water inch by inch for rising fish or swinging flies for steelhead all on foot, I often did use my Coleman canoe to chase late season callibaetis hatches on some Montana lakes for a change of pace. The silent murmur of the vintage orange vessel allowed for creeping up on pods of slurping noses with memorable success.

It was during one of those trips that I realized using a floating devise in various flat-water situations could extend my fishing potential well into my waning years. And when I discovered the intimacy a kayak provides to sneak through quiet shallows while stalking potential quarry, I was hooked – and the plan took shape. I figured there would always be stillwater near wherever I spent my retirement years, so paddling a kayak or a canoe was something I could do – even as an old guy.

Since I believe no one is ever too old to discover the thrill of something new, it was always my intention to seek out novel places and non-trout fish to make for an interesting late life challenge. As it turned out, about five minutes from where I now live in northern Maryland, the most intriguing mediocre fishing one could ever hope to find defines the water close to my backyard. This mostly freshwater but tidal impacted reach is also ideal for relaxing kayaking. Although the occasional paddler passes through this calm expanse of the upper Chesapeake Bay, rarely do I ever see anyone fishing the general area because it is quite unexceptional.

Since the estuary and accompanying creek are so comfortably natural and filled with various species of waterfowl and turtles, for me it offers many attributes important for a quality fishing experience. And over the years I have gotten into the rhythm of the tidal surges while finding places where fish do hang out at certain tides, times and seasons. The fish come and go, and I never know what I am going to hook. Often it is tidal largemouth or striped bass of varying sizes, but hickory shad, carp, catfish (channel, flathead or blue), smallmouth bass, white perch, and even the invasive nasty looking snakehead are always a possibility.

In an era when fish populations seem to be suffering throughout many regions of the country, finding a tranquil corner of the world to still cast my fly in peace and even catch a fish now and then is more than I could ever wish. Mediocre fishing has its advantages, and it sure is a good way to beat the crowds. It is also a good way to instill a sense of exploration and wonder just like being a kid again. Most importantly though, it is a good way to reflect upon the past without having any regrets.