Remember the Best Days

All anglers recall lost fish, missed opportunities, and tragic outcomes.

They weigh heavily on our minds event though they are unfixable. Or perhaps because they are unfixable.

But if you’re like me, you probably have your shared of great days, too. Yes, there are the tournaments where everything goes right because you were planned, but there are also days when you catch breaks. The line snaps in the net. The fish bites and won’t let go even though you screw something up. Even your mistakes get rewarded.

I’m trying to be more grateful for those latter types.

I had one last week in Alaska.

We’ve been going there every two to three years and I don’t practice my fly casting in between. I’m too busy chasing largemouths with braid. As a result, I never get any better. In fact, I might get a little worse with age. But typically that doesn’t matter all that much up there. Even with rudimentary skills we catch plenty of fish. A really good angler could probably clean up. 

But last week I had one of those days when I seemingly could do no wrong. The rainbow trout were absolutely snapping – and, while I may lose my credential as a bass writer for saying this, a 3-pound ‘bow will likely kick the crap out of a 3-pound smallmouth. We caught plenty of them all morning, fresh, colorful fish that used the substantial current to their advantage.

When I made the casts I was supposed to, I was rewarded.

My guide Axel found a giant sitting behind a rock and wanted to film me catching it. That’s a lot of pressure, and in normal situations I might have screwed the pooch. Even if I did everything right, often that situation comes up snake eyes. But this type I flicked my fly right in there and on the third drift he ate as he was supposed to.

Then Axel found another big fish right before we had to leave for the float plane.

This time I flubbed the cast. I could see the trout and he wasn’t going to move 5 feet to grab my offering 

Then another, bigger fish came out of nowhere and grabbed it. I landed him, too. 

I have to remember that I’m fortunate to fish all over the country and around the world for a variety of species. Chasing the wiliest and biggest among them results in some heartbreak. But I also get my share of good luck that I may not deserve. It makes the hurt sting a little less and inspires me to express gratitude fo