Reminiscence

Wandering, in memory, down river lake and stream,
age changes not the images, nor yet the waking dream,
but old age changes other things, as life wears on the mind,
though still a youth in spirit, the body lags behind.

The thoughts and hopes of yesteryear, have given way at last,
one is forced to realise, that some things are now past,
life goes on of course, but in a different vein,
some things change, some disappear, and some things stay the same.

Roaming, wandering, fishing, once the reason for existence,
no longer drives, is only held by habit, and by sheer persistence.
The fish, once untold prizes, gained by list and artful labour,
now taste blunt and sad, have lost their youthful savour.

Why fish at all? The shops are full of piscene delectation,
Of course without the thrill, the feel, the wild elation.
Many now, will never know the things you knew,
anglers are now many, and the fish are all too few.

Does it really matter? These things will not be missed,
when the fish are gone, then anglers will perforce desist.
Tradition? The hopes and dreams of many generations,
will be no more, why lose oneself in useless lamentations?

Computers, television, these things are all the rage,
with which the children nowadays,their time engage,
And are they wrong? I do not know, I fear I never will,
my soul wandered other ways, it´s longing to fulfill.

Still and all, one wishes to bequeath at least a notion,
an inkling, maybe just a faint idea, of river, lake, and ocean.
Not just wavering electrons in a vacuum glass,
But how? Aye there´s the rub, alas.

TL
MC

That is ineffably sad. The key to a happy, graceful old age, I believe,
is to stay young at heart, to cultivate young friends and to listen to
them with respect, attention, and true affection, and never to loose
that surprise and excitement for the tug on the line.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

rw writes:

That is ineffably sad. The key to a happy, graceful old age, I believe,
is to stay young at heart, to cultivate young friends and to listen to
them with respect, attention, and true affection, and never to loose
that surprise and excitement for the tug on the line.

Well said. I recently spent a week cooking for 47 high school kids at a camp.
My body ached at the end of the 10 hour work day, but my mind and spirit felt
like I was 16 again. It was great, especially when I pulled out my 5 weight
and caught bluegills and small mouths off the dock while the kids gathered
around to study this strange way to catch fish. (Thanks, Big Dale.)
Dave

http://hometown.aol.com/davplac/myhomepage/index.html

irate (Dave LaCourse) wrote in
:

Well said. I recently spent a week cooking for 47 high school kids at
a camp.

I hope you didn't wear your traditional "cooking breakfast at Clave" garb!

Scott

Dave wrote:snip It was great, especially when I pulled out my 5 weight
and caught bluegills and small mouths off the dock while the kids gathered
around to study this strange way to catch fish. (Thanks, Big Dale.)
Dave

Hope some of the kids got to play with the little green fish as well. I have
been listening to the rain this morning as I am tying a several dozen yellow
foam spiders for one of the guys in our flyfishing club to use while
introducing a bunch of boy scouts to the fun of flyfishing in one of his
classes.

Big Dale

Big Dale

Dave wrote:snip It was great, especially when I pulled out my 5 weight
and caught bluegills and small mouths off the dock while the kids gathered
around to study this strange way to catch fish. (Thanks, Big Dale.)
Dave

Hope some of the kids got to play with the little green fish as well. I have
been listening to the rain this morning as I am tying a several dozen yellow
foam spiders for one of the guys in our flyfishing club to use while
introducing a bunch of boy scouts to the fun of flyfishing in one of his
classes.

Big Dale

Big Dale

irate (Dave LaCourse) wrote in
:

Well said. I recently spent a week cooking for 47 high school kids at
a camp.

I hope you didn't wear your traditional "cooking breakfast at Clave" garb!

Scott

Dave wrote:snip It was great, especially when I pulled out my 5 weight
and caught bluegills and small mouths off the dock while the kids gathered
around to study this strange way to catch fish. (Thanks, Big Dale.)
Dave

Hope some of the kids got to play with the little green fish as well. I have
been listening to the rain this morning as I am tying a several dozen yellow
foam spiders for one of the guys in our flyfishing club to use while
introducing a bunch of boy scouts to the fun of flyfishing in one of his
classes.

Big Dale

Big Dale

rw writes:

That is ineffably sad. The key to a happy, graceful old age, I believe,
is to stay young at heart, to cultivate young friends and to listen to
them with respect, attention, and true affection, and never to loose
that surprise and excitement for the tug on the line.

Well said. I recently spent a week cooking for 47 high school kids at a camp.
My body ached at the end of the 10 hour work day, but my mind and spirit felt
like I was 16 again. It was great, especially when I pulled out my 5 weight
and caught bluegills and small mouths off the dock while the kids gathered
around to study this strange way to catch fish. (Thanks, Big Dale.)
Dave

http://hometown.aol.com/davplac/myhomepage/index.html

"Mike Connor" wrote:
Tale of depression snipped.

I'm sorry to hear you're so depressed Mike.

How could you have forgotten the enthusiasm of all those students over
the years?

How could you have forgotten the thrill of catching a trout on a hand
tied fly made from found items with a willow branch for a rod?

How could you have forgotten seeing the excitement in a child's eye
when you help him catch his first fish?

How could you have lost the satisfaction of tying a salmon fly by hand?

Get off you butt, go out and catch some fish. Then, write us a new
poem.

I'll wait,
Chas

Chas
remove fly fish to reply
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San Juan Pictures at:
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