Independence Day, and Safety, for the Fish, Anyway.

Yesterday was the 4th of July, and we celebrated by having our internet access and cable television restored. We had been independent, on and off, (sometimes it would work, and sometimes it wouldn't) for the last week of both. It seems there is always advice on the wisdom of unplugging, and we have conducted an unintentional experiment.  It was not terrible, but it was not liberating either. In the interest of honesty it should be noted we still had iPhones and internet at work.  So it was not complete isolation.  But, it is up and running again, thank you gods of technology.

Also, we were independent of fish. Which is not unusual, we spend most of our life independent of fish. What made it spectacular is the fact that we bought fishing gear, and tackle, and fishing licences, and went in search of the wily, elusive beasts. But, they managed to outsmart us, and gave us the slip.

This comes as no surprise, of course, I used to fish all the time, and fish have outmaneuvered me at every turn. But, it is was about the chase, the sport, the game.  Fishing is something I do, catching fish is not.

But, my son talked me into fishing with him.  Friday we headed over to the outdoor sporting goods mega store.  Several dollars later we walked away with new rods, reels, lures, and hope (which does spring eternal, by the way).

On the way home we scouted a few good locations, tramping through a soggy forest in the rain. You need to sacrifice to achieve success. Since the internet was working, temporarily when we got home, and our state has an online option we got our fishing license emailed to us, and we were ready.

Saturday was bright, warm and perfect for fishing.  Off we went, after a while, no point in being a damned fool about it, anyway. Bottles of water, and cold Dr. Pepper, and the adventure was joined.

Fishing is not a particularly complicated activity, but, there is a technique involved, a technique we need to master. We tangled a lot of fishing line, and had to cut it off our reels. Here is a fishing tip, take a sharp knife and bandages.  It is probably a good idea to take some hand wipes and a few snacks, as well. There is a lot a fisherman has to remember.

So, we fished for several hours, and we carried all of our trash out, and disposed of it properly. We cut away line and we lost a lure, we walked away laughing. And that means it was worth every cent.

Here is a little warning to all of the fish in the area.  You can run and you can hide and you can swim right up to the bank and laugh in my face, but I am coming for you. Just kidding, your are safe. Snacks and soft drinks you might be in trouble.