Milestones

A. J. McClane wrote of the developmentof an angler as 'tide marks' in a journey.  To paraphrase he said first one only cares about quantity, later it is quality then species specific intrests.  The final stage for an experienced angler is only the desire to catch a fish that is difficult and elusive.

If I had to place myself in one of those stages of development as an angler I'd have to say it would be the second. I often chose waters new to me, away from the stocked streams, that harbor the increasingly rare Easter brookies.  It gives me great satisfaction to pull in a brightly colored native over farmed rainbows with fins all torn to shreds. 

Then again who doesn't love a day filled with strikes from ravenous trout eager to hit your fly.   Maybe a someday I'll attain that monastic urge to catch only elusive fish but for now give me beautiful trout and a lot of them.
Just something to think about.....

And yes its another wet caddis - I got 365 days of painting flies. That's a lot of ground to cover...