SPRING PUTS ME IN THE MOOD… to buy a brand new set of Fly Rods! By “set” I mean a 3Wt, 5WT, 7WT, 8WT & 9WT. Thomas & Thomas. Two-piece and three-piece sets (got to have both, right?). And New Reels to match. All Tibors. And New Lines. And since I hate to change reels/spools from rod to rod, maybe two sets of each rod and reel! 

OK….OK… daydream is over. In reality I will rub a little wax on my twenty-year-old fly rods, take a toothbrush to my fly reels, add a spot of grease, tape up the cork with some electrical tape, and clean my aging and cracked fly lines with “Tire Wet” (your welcome). I’ll check the Jimmy Albright knots from backing to line and line to butt loop, cut off the old leaders and tie in some new ones. I’ll air out my leaky waders and my “Grey’s Best” Fly Vest that Foster talked me into 25 years ago for $350 bucks! I’ll round up my fly fishing hats (a baseball style for local waters and a true wide-brimmed felt hat for up north culture). I’ll organize my fly boxes (ha!) that will be unorganized in the first few minutes of arriving on any steam or bay, and I will MAKE SURE I have two sets of everything I will need with me – one set in my fly vest and one set back in my fishing and hunting car. I will be first on the stream and last to leave (…), I will slip and fall into mud and rocks, I will freeze my fingers off first part of the season because I won’t wear “fly fishing (golf) gloves,” My shoulders will become soar from casting, I will be stressed out that there are no fish, my flies keep getting hung up on the bottom, and my leaders all have wind knots in them (“You get wind knots on calm days in the fog!” – Thank you, Lefty). But then, after a few hours I will relax, think life through, empty my heart before God of all the junk that clutters it up, and fill it again with good things, good thoughts, and genuine warmth, peace and tranquillity, knowing deep down in my soul there is a God who loves me, cares for me, and is with me wherever I go. Even when I go fishing. – Capt. Dave, baymenlife.com