Tal: "Dad! Why did you eat that fish heart!??"
Me: "Cause you told me to!"
Tal: "Well that disgusted me!"
Tal and Hold LOVE to go
fishing, and I refuse to take them to the fish farm or the city ponds that double as
sess pools because the water is so dirty that the planter fish they put in them couldn't see a fly three inches away. And if by some miracle they did, they'd prob turn and run in fear because they were raised on pellets and don't recognize natural food sources. I refuse to use rotten clams or shrimp,
although it seems to work for some of the Mexicans I've seen there when I ride by on my bike. I'm trying to wean
Talmage from the thought that
powerbait and
treble hooks
are an acceptable fishing method, and inculcate a sense of respect and purism when it comes to catching fish. Yes I'm a snob. This snobbery and ethical debate about how to hook a wiley trout dates back hundreds of years. I'm a fly advocate so we go places were the fish are wild and natural. As my current circumstances dictate, that's five min from home on the Provo river. Rivers and streams are magical places that fascinate me as much now as they did as a kid when I would ride my bike up to the stream by Hogie's market and catch crawdads. It's no different for Tal and Holen. As soon as we pull up they're scouring the banks for treasure, making forts, finding new and precious stones, and tracking animals in the mud. So while they're doing that, I'm trying to find a good hole with rising fish to cast to where I can simultaneously keep one eye on them and one on my Griffith's gnat... Who says I can't multi task!!? One of the boys favorite things to do when we fish is to make a fire and eat some freshly caught trout cooked right on the coals. Every fish I caught, or that Tally reeled in and Holdy scooped out of the water, they pleaded, "Can we eat this one? Lets eat this one! I want to eat some fish!" The midge hatch was going good so I just wanted to keep catching fish so I made them let the first five or six go and every time the fish would swim away they had a look of disappointment in their face...haha.. So finally I caved and Tal gathered up some fire wood and we had a little illegal Indian fire on the banks and a little smoked brown trout snack....
I have to admit, I have a bit of an odd obsession: dead birds. When ever I’m out and about—usually riding my bike—I frequently see a dead bird on the side of the road. Terns, thrushes, wrens, finches, warblers, you name it, I’ve ridden by it. It’s not uncommon to ride past road kill of all types on the roads I frequent in the canyons and rural country; but a dead cottontail, skunk, coon, or deer doesn’t draw me in like a small feathered missile that has met his demise lying lifeless on the shoulder of the road. Sometimes it’s moments after it was darting through the air like a winged fighter pilot with deft acrobatic maneuvers that I come upon them lying on the road, their hollow bones pulverized; a little winged vessel left unmanned. Why do I care you ask? Why do I stop my inertia--which is sometimes quite high mind you, to admire and inspect these little dead creatures? Because cyclist’s and birds have a lot in common: we are designed and meant for speed. We often travel at high velocities, battling the wind and elements trying to survive, escape or sometimes just enjoying the feeling of freedom of the moment. Sometimes we succeed in these pursuits and sometimes we fail, but fundamentally I’m not much different than that bird that was flying across the road whose time had expired. The mountain blue bird didn’t see it coming, and we most likely won’t either. So let the dead bird be a reminder to live in the moment, to enjoy your speed and agility while it’s yours to enjoy, because the time will come for everyone, and every little bird that it will be taken away. Next time you see a dead bird stop and pay your respect, and remember that svelte bird was meant for speed and flight and he went down, and it’s only a matter of time before we all do too. Take your precautions yes, but more importantly, live life to the fullest and ride fast while your legs can still carry you…
