Dear Carp - It's Been Way Too Long

Dear Carp,

In the last eight weeks I have been to visit with you one time with the exception of this morning.  In my one previous visit, conditions were so poor I simply walked away and it was only today in this long period of time I would have a conversation with any of your kind. 

As to why I have been absent, my story is much the same as it always is to you.  Therefore, I won't ask you to listen to any of my excuses any longer.  Let's just say that my work life has paid off in the form of a very nice fly fishing dividend coming my way soon.

On the fringe of your home this morning I had a connection with one of your citizens via the Aftermath gift I often bring to you.  The chap was a beast and not at all interested in continuing a conversation and he quickly broke talks off taking the Aftermath as his spoil of battle.

With no more Aftermath gifts I tied on a Creek Critter and found citizen number two.  Hooking up with this fellow in an odd place on the creek required me to jump down from the bank and when I did I begin to sink in the silt.  With each step I continued to sink a little more and once I was up to my knees I had to put it in high gear to get to a more sturdy sandbar. 

 

Now, I spoke of how my work ethic has paid off and it indeed has.  When I was a young man I was on my way to Marine Corps base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.  The trip required a drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains along the fringes of the Pisquah National Forest.

It was on that winding road through the mountains and forest I laid my eyes on the prettiest water I'd ever seen.  However with a young baby, the wife and I never had a penny to spare for things such as fishing and I never got to fish those beautiful waters - a regret I have carried all these years.

 

But, my employer somehow found out about this story I was telling to a co-worker and he recently approached me handing me an envelope with a message in it.

 

 

I am sure you can appreciate my joy and excitement about this trip - a bucket list for this aging chap for sure.  Here, some forty years later, I am returning to western North Carolina to fish the famous Davidson along with more intimate mountain streams.  My buddy Van will be going also and we plan on making the best of the five day adventure.

 

As a matter of fact we've already started gearing up.  Both of us have new Sage rods coming along with new Ross reels and yesterday we made a small gear haul

 

 

With summer almost over, my workplace activity should begin to slow down and therefore I hope to see more of you my friends. 

 

At least that is my hope. 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Prairie Ocean Fly Fisher