Anticipation

I am Eastern Shore bound in just a few short days! Outside of maybe last year's trip to Montana, there has not been an outdoor adventure that I can recall in the past few years with which I felt more anticipation and excitement than this one. I suppose it is due to a combination of several factors. First, there is a great group of guys that are planning to go, and I know we will share many laughs, practical jokes and great food even if the fish do not cooperate. Second, we are planning to stay at the Eastern Shore Safaris Lodge in Exmore, which is an area on the Shore that I have never been to before. Third, we will likely fish some areas on both the Bayside and the Seaside that I have never seen or fished. Fourth, with several different sized boats being hauled over that can handle a variety of conditions, I hope to have the opportunity to hook and land a cobia, a bull red or a gator trout, all of which would be firsts for me. And fifth, I will be able to take a break from work and recharge before the busy fall season begins. Did I mention that I can't wait?

Mark 13: 30-33 (NASB)
Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.

Time with the Guide

I spent this past week with my family and parents in Western North Carolina (WNC), about an hour's drive west of Asheville. We had opportunities to visit many of the storied locations and historical attractions that it featured, including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Clingman's Dome, Cades Cove, the Cherokee Indian Reservation and Village, Fontana Lake and Dam and the Nantahala Gorge. One of the things that this mountainous area prides itself on is its numerous fishing locations and opportunities, in particular, fly fishing for several different species of trout. Well, I am definitely a novice when it comes to fly fishing - in fact, the last time I picked up my fly rod was last June on the Blackfoot River in western Montana, but you can rest assured that I was gonna have my fly rod in tow for a week in the Smokies! Based on all the activities in which we were planning to participate throughout the week, though, I decided that instead of booking a trip with an experienced guide to get a full appreciation and understanding of the tips, tricks and tactics of fly fishing for trout in that area, that I would rely on speaking with a guide long enough to get the quick and dirty update on where to fish and what flies and approaches to use. Needless to say, this turned out to be a poor decision, as even after numerous hours spent in a hatchery supported trout stream near our cabin, all I had to show for it was one four or five inch species of minnow. But all seasoned fly fishermen know it's all about the experience, right?...

Proverbs 1:7-8 (MSG)
Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning. Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you; never forget what you learned at your mother’s knee.

The Missing Intel

This past Saturday was Virginia's Youth Spring Turkey Hunt Day, which both I and the Cool Spring Game Dinner hunt winner, Austin, had been anticipating for weeks. Over the past month, my buddy and I had been getting reports from the farm owner about where the gobblers had been consistently seen on the farm. We had even scouted them out on two different occasions last week to ensure we had figured out precisely where they were roosting and heading to once on the ground. Therefore, with all this intel, my confidence was soaring in the pre-dawn hours as Austin, his father Steve, and I maneuvered quietly to the field where the gobblers and their hens have headed on so many days once leaving their roosts. I positioned my Avian-X hen decoy at the ideal shooting range for Austin, and we settled in by the trees on the field edge which had been located days prior as ideal locations to sit. Everything was going according to plan; however, as it became lighter, I heard plenty of gobbling in the distance, but none anywhere close to our setup. Eventually, several roosted hens began communicating nearby, but not the first gobble. In fact, three of those hens eventually flew off, one towards the distant gobblers, and two away from our field. Fortunately for Austin, he did get to hear a lot of gobbling and even watched two gobblers strutting at a distance later in the morning, but we did not come home with a gobbler like I had so anxiously expected.

Romans 10:9 (NLT)
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Looking Forward to Better Days

Do any of you experience a 'down time' during the year? I think it is occasionally referred to as seasonal depression. I have to admit that I definitely do, and that time is now. Deer season is over, turkey season is not here yet, the days are relatively short, and most days are too cold to think about fishing. My wife dreads this time of year because she says I pace around the house, obsessing about and over-analyzing my ailments, and struggling to find something to do. What does help me is that I am a planner and a 'prepper', so I can stay busy taking weekly trips to the local sporting goods stores, putting fresh line on my fishing reels, cleaning up, repairing and organizing my hunting clothes, even working on tree stands and cutting shooting lanes. What really fuels me during this down time, though, is researching, planning and looking forward to my upcoming hunting and fishing trips. This year, in addition to discovering the 'God-sized' plans that He has for Scope & Hook, I am planning to spend a week out in western Montana assisting Brodie Swisher with his Youth Bowhunter Camp. I am also looking forward to a three-day fishing and shooting trip to the Eastern Shore of Virginia with the Cool Spring sportsmen. You know you are passionate about the outdoors when in January you are already planning out your entire year's vacation around when you want to be in the field!