Late last year Josh Mills wrote one of our most popular guest posts ever – a letter to Carson, his son…who hadn’t exactly been born yet.
Josh is back today with a writeup on something we all experience – the anticipation of going fishing!
Thanks, Josh.
The Buildup
Gigantic gear piles assemble at your door and it begins to look like you’re outfitting an expedition to Mars. The truth of the matter is you’re only rolling out for 2 days.
You run around your house like a madman looking for lost items. You become absolutely sure that your wife, your dog and your fishing buddies are in a multi-level conspiracy to hide your nymph boxes or your lucky fishing hat. You left your wading jacket right there, didn’t you and that a-hole dog must have eaten your backup eight weight.
The fifteenth time you check the stream flow it shows the same thing, a level graph. Technology has given anglers the ability to forecast, to see into the future and see from afar what the rivers are doing. It still will never take away the anxiety of anticipation you feel when you crest the hill for the first time and your eyeballs fix on the true, real time color of the flow.
Your menu has been planned for 3 days. For the first time, actual vegetables have been assigned to members of your fishing crew. How many times have you shown up, peeked into coolers only to find you have a mixture of sandwich meats, steak, chicken and sausage along with piles of bad beer? That concoction does wonders on the digestive system. Time to get some fiber, bro – fiber.
Extra Ibuprofen is part of the luggage for mornings when your head will be a bit, let’s say…foggy.
Time for the fourth round of double checking to make sure you won’t leave something behind. Chances are you won’t realize that you’ve left something until you actually need it. It’s just the way it works.
A fitful night of sleep is ahead of you. An hour here, an hour there and a whole lot of staring at the clock. Finally you’ve had enough and it’s go time.
There is absolutely nothing better than the night before a big fishing trip. That anticipatory feeling can make a guy feel just this side of giddy. It’s like when you’re a single man and you’re working up the nerve to hit on the hottest girl in the bar. The build up and the foreplay only serve to make the main act more special, if you know what I mean.
What can be always trumps what wasn’t. That’s why I love the night before.
Excellent article Josh, I couldn’t agree more. You’ve described all of my fishing trips to a T. The prep is just about as good as the dance. Thanks!
As soon as a trip is over, its important to get another one on the calendar. Even if its a long way out, the anticipation and planning and dreaming can be renewed.
Well I guess I raised you right. But why do i always have to bring all the food Plus the camper and the drift boat??