Making Time for Adventure

It may seem like I spend a lot of time traveling the back roads looking for fish and adventure, but a more realistic view of my life isn't much different than yours. I pull weeds, clean the garage, shop for groceries, take out the garbage and occasionally even wash the dishes. Add running a business and writing a weekly newsletter to the mix and it's a wonder I ever see the light of day. The trick I have found to adventure is simply putting it on the calendar and doing it. No excuses, no maybe next year, just grab your go-bag and go.

Time is one thing we just can't buy, but we can budget it. We need to move some from savings once in awhile and spend it on ourselves and our families. Those moments spent on new adventures will pay dividends and in the end will add to our lives though memories and better health. You will never regret time spent on expanding your view of the world or yourself. Get outside. Meet new people and see new places. Do something fresh and different or just find a quiet place in the woods and watch a campfire for awhile with a friend. Take care of you and you can take care of those you love. Maybe I'll see you on one of those back roads I love to travel very soon.

Places Familiar and New

Rustling palm trees have replaced the sound of rain on the roof that has been my normal morning sound track. The air is warm even at this hour, but the breeze keeps me from seeking the comfort of my air-conditioned room. Today, I find myself in a tropical paradise waiting the rising of the sun and the beginning of another day on the azure waters of Bahia de la Ascencion.

The sleepy village of Punta Allen has changed much since my first visit 25 years ago, but many familiar landmarks remain. They bring back memories of bonefish, permit and tarpon encounters that started me on this crazy quest to find these beautiful places and chase these incredible fish.

Time has also change my view on this magical world, showing me details missed in my early years. My focus seems to have changed and while pescatorial pursuits still drive me to adventure, seeing and understanding these places has become more important. I find it easier to see the details without the distraction of new surroundings. This is a place both familiar and new, filled with wonders and inviting exploration. I think I shall answer that call. 

Finding my Voice

Volumes have been written and professionals spend hours trying to help those in need find the answer to inner peace. Our lives are filled with challenges and situations that sometimes make that peace so very hard to find when the path leads us into the unknown. As anglers we are lucky to have places of healing and peace that just happen to hold Trout or other targets of our obsession. 

Water has always held healing properties and any excuse to get our boots wet is a welcome one indeed. We are able to rinse away much of the dust our travels have covered us in and refresh our spirit with even the shortest of visits to these welcoming oasis.

When I find that my voice has been silenced or muffled by events not under my control I seek out those places where my thirst can be quenched by clear flowing waters and open skies. Stars can provide just enough light on the darkest of nights to guide me to that peace that returns my voice and lightens my heart. Decisions become as clear as the night sky. When daylight returns it is much easier to make those tough choices, like choosing between a size 22 BWO Comparadun or a size 20 Parachute Adams. After all, these are the things that truly matter. 

Peace and Clarity

While others probed the emerald waters in search of chrome, I ventured east this weekend to find that clarity and peace I was seeking. The clouds had descended to shroud the canyon walls, hiding familiar features, but drawing attention to some unseen in the past. A basalt needle revealed by a background of fog had gone unnoticed for close to thirty years. Now it framed one of the residents prancing on the ridge line against the liquid sky. Colors and details muted by the weather still reveal the brush strokes of the master artist. This gallery there for all to see, if they so choose.

Focus is often on the river and the residents hidden beneath the shimmering surface, yet it is hard not to explore the ever-changing vista as you cast and wade. The mist sets the stage and mood for this show, tauntingly unveiling work several million years in the making. The light too changes to bring out details unseen before in the hundreds of visits to this very same place. A place familiar, yet new. Even in the fog, a place of peace and clarity.