Gold On The Inside

I had a chance to go back to STL recently. Helen and Herc kicked in LA, and I went back solo. I surprised my sister for her surprise 40th birthday party. The whole thing was a success, and a lot of people worked awful hard to make it happen. It was great getting her goat, and seeing a lot of her friends. We had a family dinner Saturday night, and I went fishing with pops for about three days in Lebanon, MO. I christened my new fly rod that my dad gave me, and caught more fish than I ever have. That was mostly due to the use of some amazing flies my dad tied and we were using. I got the privilege of using my dads new fly rod rig. His new rod and reel are so responsive and light, its almost unbelievable. It was the best fishing trip to date. I had a lot of time to think, and miss my family. Fishing takes me to another place.Some of the best memories of childhood and life in general are tied into angling. Its a game of self improvement and reflection, two things most people don't start valuing until much later in life. My started taking me fishing when I was very young, and it was one thing we always have done together. My dad said that when I first started, I would fish for 5 minutes, then throw rocks for 30 minutes. And each year, I would fish more, and throw rocks less. I can't wait to see how far Heracles can throw a rock, and see what kind of fisherman he turns into. I'm in trouble if we continue this generational pace, I'll have some serious competition.