An Underground Update: Cold, Windy — and Getting Out of the House

Spring in the mountains is more an abstract concept than a reality; the weather’ s likely to swing from "Summer in the mountains" to "Winter in the mountains" — and then back — in a matter of days.

Layer that with winds strong enough to skate my Weber barbecue across the back patio like a jet launching from an aircraft carrier, and you’re starting to get a handle on the last week’s weather (and it’s drizzling right now).

I spent Tuesday and Wednesday preparing to teach an online marketing workshop, and then — finally free to fish — spent yesterday on the couch.

That’s not an ambitious admission from someone whose readers might have expected him to be out fly fishing, but in truth, I’ve been blasting along pretty much non-stop since my father’s passing, and getting a little crusty in the process.

A day spent in a quiet house, turning recent events over in my mind, was a welcome break.

The loss of a parent isn’t something that comes and goes in a few days; the mind and body need to absorb what amounts to the disappearance of a lifelong constant, and while that’s not necessarily bad, it is something that churns away beneath the surface whether you want it to or not.

The reality of it all inevitably rears up on its hind legs, claims your attention, and the couch beckons. Fair enough.

Plus, I plowed into the stack of books waiting for me (including a copy of Ted William’s Something’s Fishy, an engrossing, hard-hitting book that can’t possibly sell as well as it deserves to).

Expect a review soon.

Still, You Can’t Keep a Fly Fisherman Down

Today, Bertrand and I are planning to reconnoiter some of the lesser-fished places we know, though the still-rampant winds mean we’ll probably do more looking than fishing.

With runoff slowing due to cold temperatures (33 yesterday AM), the Upper Sacramento is starting to round nicely into shape, and last week’s near-100-degree temperatures disappeared much of the snow on the hills overlooking the canyon.

While there’s still more runoff to come, Steve and I wondered aloud if the worst is over.

I’ll let you know. Right now, I’ve got to get ready.

See you on a river, Tom Chandler.

Tagged as: fishing, Fly Fishing, something's fishy