Fishing is a mind experience as well as a physical experience. You have to enjoy being outdoors and be able to find enjoyment in just being. The physical part is being able to with stand freezing temperatures while standing in water up to your waist casting flies to huge fish that may or may not be interested.

On a recent winter day I was doing just that. Watching a "V" of Canadian geese fly up the river. The honks grew louder the closer they came, they were my neighbors on the river and I could hear the watermelon like splashes in the next pool up as they landed. Wham the rod jumped in my hand I had forgotten the leach on the end of the line as it swayed below me in the current. There was no need to set the hook I had obviously hooked a large freight train traveling on the river bottom. The line sliced through the water and the ice on the guides of the rod exploded in a crystal storm as the strong fish moved off in the current.

I held the rod high and hung on taking line when I could. My arms could feel the pull and throb as the still unseen fish vented its anger at the tiny barb holding it. Then it made a run across the pool and all of a sudden the great rust colored rainbow was in the air, once, twice, and yet again in high arching jumps. He was fantastic, jewel clear and painted on the sky.

As he tired I worked the net closer until he was mine. Reaching down I worked the hook free and let him lay in the net resting what a great day. I slowly removed the net and the fish lay below me in the water a few moments then turned and moved back into the depths of the pool. Again it was just my neighbors and I alone on the river.