December

Went down and fished the Current River for most of the day, though fishing was awfully slow. Nothing special really, fished from Baptist downstream to the first big, slow hole, the water low and very clear. Had a few hits on Pat's rubberlegs, heavily weighted and chucked through runs and the tails of pools, and a few half-hearted smacks at wooly buggers and other streamers. Nothing eventful, and I'm hoping things pick up in 2010.

As for resolutions, those are fairly easy. Fish harder- not necessarily more, though that'd be a lot of fun too, but I think I'd be a more productive angler if I simply tried harder. We'll see. Find a job, figure out grad school, write more, learn more, read more, perhaps invest in a vehicle with four-wheel drive, take some trips...

As for trips, that's been fomenting in my mind now that it's cold and snowy. The coast sounds nice- Texas, Louisiana, Florida- somewhere with redfish and, ideally, snook. Peacock bass in the canals around Miami still tempt me, as does another trip out west this summer. Something about chucking big terrestrials for big, happy cutthroats amongst big meadows or freestone pocket water and huge views seems delightfully comforting. Where I'd go though, that's still up in the air. Perhaps the Flathead drainage, or Idaho...

Spring- a trip to the Wisconsin driftless or Michigan seems like a good idea, perhaps coupling it with some trips for steelhead or big ice-out pike and musky. We'll have to see though, money is always an issue, though there's hope.

Talking at the flyshop last night the subject was broached of South America- Argentina specifically, next year, fishing for trout in Patagonia and golden dorado in the northern part of the country. It sounds awfully tempting, and if I could scrape together six grand, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

We'll see. That's the nicest thing about a new year, I suppose- the opportunities are boundless.

Happy New Year, I'll see you in 2010.