Early Saturday morning I ventured north and decided to test out a theory I developed along the way:
You can tell the quality of a day of fishing by the thickness of your coffee cup handle. The thicker the handle, the better the day.
I’ve also found this theory generally holds true for the quality of food at your average road side diner or greasy spoon. It’s not an exact measurement, but it’s close.
The coffee cup handles at the Swedish Inn in Lindstrom, MN are good and thick. There’s enough porcelain there to make a sink.
Fishing Opener 2009 found me with my friend, fishing guru, and all around outdoorsman, Jason Riebe. With stomachs full of Lindstrom’s second finest breakfast (no doubt Mrs. Riebe would have made a finer breakfast if given the chance) we headed out to see if my theory held water.
Our first stop was a reservoir called…well, I can’t tell you that, or the secret would be out. Upon our arrival though we – and all the other fishermen braving the day- had one thing fighting against us: the weather. The cold front that had come through was encouraging the fish to stay away from our lines.Which presented the first obstacle of any fishing adventure: Will you let your circumstances determine your catch? Jason’s answer to that question: No.
When we finally made it to the choice spot we had set out to find we determined that my rod and reel were not going to be working with me as much as against me. To make a long story short, I needed a new rig or fishing the was going to be a pretty useless venture for me the rest of the day.
We decided to head back to the Riebe Estate, grab lunch and some new gear, but not before one more cast. On that cast Jason reeled in the first game fish of the season: a decent sized Bass. Now that we were able to say that we weren’t skunked at our first stop, we broke for lunch and restocked our equipment.
Our game on we launched Jason’s canoe onto the St. Croix and headed up river to spend the rest of the day enjoying the simple pleasures of angling. I learned plenty of new tricks, Jason sharpened his skills, and the beauty of a cool bright day in May reminded me of what I loved so much about fishing as a young boy: everything.
It’s not as much about the fish you catch, though we did catch a few, it’s much more about getting away from the business of life, throwing a line in the water and waiting. In doing that fishing teaches you something profound: often the simple hopes in life are the best and watching and waiting for them on the water can put everything into focus.
All in all I would definitely say it was a Thick Handled Day, but I’ll let the pictures describe it from here:
The man. The legend.
Taking in the scenery
Natural Wood Framing
Fire and A Line
I caught one too.
A nice view on the World.
I used to have a special cup in the house. It had a thick handle. And my mother knew… don’t get Jonas hot coco (now coffee), unless it’s in that cup.
I know for a fact its the same one you’re talking about. Coffee hasn’t tasted the same since… thus begins my journey.
I wish you would do a little more writing and less thinking!? Today is June 21st, lets get a move on. I miss your writings.
Thanks for the kick in the pants Mike. I’m going to go out and mow the lawn, quickly, and come back in and catch the world up on what I think.