It’s almost 10:00 pm and I’ve been writing the whole damned day. (Well, I stopped when Raine called to taunt me with his fishing story.)

It’s a treat to live only minutes away from great trout fishing, but when I’m jonesing to fish and can’t, a psychologist might suggest it’s an even more painful experience than living several hours away, because ditching the work and fishing involves only a moment of weakness and eight minutes of driving.

And yeah, I realize that – over the long run – it all averages out in my favor. But not enought to stop me from whining.

Still, one’s butt should only be flat from sitting in a drift boat (not an office chair), and one’s hands should only be tired from unhooking fish all day (not typing), and I don’t qualify on either front right now.

Still, it could be worse. I could have been out trying to guide in sustained 90 mph winds like Ian Rutter, or catching trout for terminally ill friends like Bish, or even spending my days fishing sand dunes in Iraq like so many of our troops.

And the good news is something fun is going to happen over the weekend (if not sooner), and the weekend after is the Great Western Rod Gathering.

That’s where a lot of bamboo rod builders get together, swap building tips and test-cast a lot of fine rods – all with the express intent of making me fall in love with a lot of rods I can’t begin to afford.

More on the vast bamboo conspiracy next week. I’m breaking that story wide, wide open. Just you wait. It’s Pulitzer time, baby.

But here’s tonight’s Question to the Underground Readership: What’s the one thing you hate doing instead of fishing more than all the other things? (Hint: “work” isn’t a good enough answer – what part of work? If not work, then mowing, clipping, visiting, etc.)

[tags]bamboo, whining, fly fishing, fly rod[/tags]

Posted in Underground Entertainment.