6 June 2019

Exchanging Fishing Vows

I’ve got to prioritize better. It’s funny how things work out. So far, I have a grand total two days of walleye fishing in during a summer that was supposed to be for walleye fishing. What it wasn’t a summer for was work; per se. I had scheduled two weeks of fishing for walleye and smelt, a few days for crappie and a couple days for trout. I’m fairly sure that there are some pretty busy guys who have gotten all that fishing in already. Somehow, I can’t figure out how to do it. Proof that I am not that smart, as if it wasn’t self-evident, is what I do have in the tank for the summer of fishing. It includes one day working on a pond, a day of boat repairs, a day of dock planning, drive way repairing and three days of roofing, and eleven days of wedding preparation for two weddings. What is funnier is none of the projects were mine! Yes, I’ve got a problem.

Now many a good plan (a good plan is a fishing plan; any fishing plan) has come and gone and all have fallen way short of their original timeline. Now, it is no one’s fault really. I just don’t know how to duck things. This case of global raining has dampened plans all spring, too. Luckily, it was sunny enough for an extended stay to do some roofing. No projects, I’m proud to say, have been cut short by the weather, other than being able to work in my own fields. Three gorgeous fishing days were spent on a roof. My feet aren’t good enough to do roofing either but it was supposed to be an easily, relatively flat roof and it was true. My feet held up during those beautiful, rare, and sun splashed days, with the pain being less than debilitating. All while the water temperatures were perfect enough to turn on the crappie and pike bite. I can’t complain though; I’ve had friends give up free days to help me and I hope you have had that honor, too. Hopefully, on their free day it didn’t rain.

If I can’t fish, I’d like to at least put on a brisket and smoke it. However, the inclemency of the weather and other projects has kept me off the smoker as well. It’s not all bad. If it was sunny it’s not like I’d be spending every day fishing and running a smoke pit anyway; maybe every other day but not every day. Heck, I’ve had some down time and maybe I should have gone out more and tried to find some clear water that I didn’t need to use a brick in to weight my hook. If it had been nice, I would have spent time in my fields prepping and planting. As it is too late for corn in my fields. When the field can be tended, it is probably going to have to just get some forage plot stuff and hope to plant something next year.

The weather did clear up for the weddings, which is nice, and worth trading a few fishing days for; once a decade or more... The actual day of not the entire weeks leading up to them. It’s always nice to have a little sun during an outdoor wedding. You don’t want to see vows exchanged in the rain-even if you’re the type to be sitting there thinking about how well the veil could be used as a minnow seine.

Two of the reasons (I have a documented one thousand) that I conducted a career change to retirement status were reasons #3 and #4, to attend these very specific weddings which both happened to fall on significant fishing holidays. I was tired of saying, “Sorry, I can’t go, I have to work” for the past quarter century. So, I was exactly where I wanted to be even if I wasn’t fishing, or hunting, or mushrooming.

One wedding had an elevated deer blind in the distance that over looked the outdoor chapel. I offered to sit in the blind, take pictures and shoot a rifle after the bride and groom were officially introduced. (Apparently, a quarter century has killed my wedding, social senses; I’m basically feral). So, I was ordered to a seat in a pew and told to be unarmed. I think no one has the sense of wedding planning that I do. Is there really any harm in having the ceremony on a boat either? After all, a captain can marry people. Or get married on shore if the lovely couple gets sea sick? Everyone can fish during the ceremony. Of course, we will honor the event, no one has the right of way other than the wedding party. You can’t scream, “Fish on!” and expect the Reverend, bride, maid of honor, ring bearer, groom, best man and great grandmother to bail out of your way as you play your fish through the ceremony. Even I know that. Unless, it was a really big brown trout…that’s where there may be some grey area.

Well, to sum it up, it’s been as active and full spring as it has been wet. I might have to find a job so I can get out of work.

See you along the stream.