Ghost of Midnight

Best of FPF: Gone Fishing

Terry shared the following story in his Danville Forum. We thought it was well worth a share:

“Several days ago, in an urge to shed some old treasures that have become clutter in our house, I offered a collection of old fly rods for free.

“The rods I offered were from my personal history of fly fishing, starting with my father 70 years ago. Dad was not flashy or one to chase fleeting trends, but he would buy tools and equipment as the best he could afford. Some of those old rods were his or from his father before him.

“Like anyone using FPF, you never quite know what the response will be. I posted the offer and didn’t look at my computer until the next day. The response was mind-boggling. Most of the requests were heartwarming from good folks with great stories and wonderful intentions.

“The first told me about fishing in the legendary rivers and lakes of Wyoming. Another persistent responder picked two and emailed me the next day about his adventure that very evening on a pond nearby. His plans include a summer visit to family in Alaska, where the trout grow bigger and leap higher than even our trophy fish in Vermont.

“The rest are headed to a Vermont state park program where people of all ages learn to fish. Those bamboo and early fiberglass rods will be admired and used as they were meant to be used, no longer gathering dust in my closet. I hope they provide pleasure and more memories wherever they go.

“There is nothing quite like the singular moment when your fly settles perfectly on the dark water’s surface. Day is turning to night. You can imagine a moose watching from the shoreline. Maybe the full moon is rising. Just as you begin to strip your line and move that fly inward, in an instant the surface is broken and there is the most beautiful fish leaping upward with your fly in its mouth. Your leader follows up and back down into the water, and the challenge is on. If that happens once in your lifetime, you are fortunate beyond words.

“For those who did not get to have one, I am sorry. Fishing is like that.”