Bass and Fly Fishing
Blakely cussed the fish that he missed. The bass struck with enough force to bend the blades on his buzzbait, knocking him out of the friendly competition that started when our age only required a single digit to describe.
I flipped my popper fly to the log the bass attacked from, hoping to complete the task Blakely began. With only one jerk, I watched the fly get vacuumed under the surface in a classic strike from a large-mouth bass. I watched as the fly line began to disappear in the brownish-clear water, and I set the hook.
Raising the rod with my right hand and jerking the line with my left, the popper’s single hook sank into the mouth of the mysterious fish. Immediately my fly rod formed the arch of success as the fish pulled furiously against me.
Each thrust that forced my rod tip down gave way to a slight period of relaxation, allowing me to pull the fish in with my line hand. I expertly pulled the fish in a foot at a time as I laughed joyfully. Catching a tournament-grade bass on a fly rod is extremely fun.
Fly fishing for bass can only be described as counter-cultural. In a world where having a plethora of rods and a fiberglass bass boat worth tens of thousands is normal, casting flies at bass lands more raised eyebrows than fish.
Despite the questioning looks from fellow bass anglers, I can’t help but feel disappointed fishing for them any other way. Much like pulling back your bow on an alpine buck, once you have set the hook on a fighter large-mouth with a fly rod, it is impossible to return to the more effective and efficient conventional gear.
Preparing
I’ve cut the carbs back on my diet in order to feel slightly hungry. I’ve also started to separate my protein from the carbs. Starting the day with a protein-heavy meal (mostly 93/7 ground beef) makes me feel more satiated for longer and provides the protein I need to build muscle (around 200g).
Saving the carbs for later in the day helps align with my circadian rhythm. I don’t fully understand it, but I know that the carbs cause an insulin spike and set me up to start my rest cycle. The reduction in calories from carbs is to help expedite the slimming down that needs to happen before hunting season—no need to haul more weight up the mountain than needed.
Learning
In 2016, the entire nation felt like it would rip apart during the presidential election. Truth is, I didn’t like either candidate at all. However, I really didn’t like the anti-civility that seemed to come with the friction between the candidates. No one seemed to be mature enough to tolerate anyone else’s views on any point of debate.
I’ve served this country for 18 years and did mission work before that. I’ve seen the cost of dysfunctional governments and civil war firsthand. I didn’t want that for the country I would later hand off to my children. Needless to say, 2016 had me worried.
So I took to history in order to accurately judge the severity of the situation. I wanted to know if the insanity I was watching was something wholly new or if it had happened before. That was the best political decision I have ever made.
I started to read the biographies of each president of the United States in chronological order. My idea was simple. The president was the product of America at a certain point in history. Using a systems thinking approach, if you understood the president at the time, you would truly understand the state of the country that had chosen them as their leader.
One thing became abundantly clear from the start, “nothing is new under the sun.” Everything we currently observe in politics has been happening since we were colonies. Deceptive press, disruptive foreign nations, and bombastic politicians are as American as the 4th of July. If anything, the election of 2016 was a sign that all was normal.
Since I have taken a lazy approach to this reading list, I am now on Abraham Lincoln. It is interesting to see how committed to ending slavery he was from the time he was young, how pragmatic he could be when the situation called for it, and how he held views that we would consider outright racist today. Jefferson was no different. In fact, many of our national heroes seem to come out of the same mold of imperfect pragmatism.
Growing
“Ask yourself at every moment, “Is this necessary?” is a quote from Marcus Aurelius that I have been reflecting on a lot lately. I always say yes, which gets me in trouble. Even if I complete the plethora of tasks I sign up for, my relationship with my wife suffers because of it.
This has become more and more apparent the closer I get to welcoming my daughter into the world. I simply can’t be everything to everyone anymore. I must let some things fail and not volunteer to save the day. The question becomes, which ones?
That question occupied the better part of my deep thinking last week. Finally, I sat down at church and looked up at an icon of Jesus with the disciples. Then it hit me. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God” from Matthew 6:33. The answer had been right there all along.
Now the question becomes, what exactly is the “kingdom” in my context? Being a good husband and a good father are the priorities for certain. However, how does the Army fit in? How does hunting? Do they? What about them are essential?
After 18 years of service to the Army, I’m beginning to wonder if it is time to let the next generation do their part. I’ve been deployed for a total of 39 months and have been away for much more than that when you consider schools, weekends, and protracted training events. With the arrival of my daughter, perhaps my service is coming to a close. Time will tell.
Connect With Me
I am a freelance outdoors writer. My writing falls into three buckets. First, I do informational writing for blogs (such as Largemouth Bass Habitat). Secondly, I do reflective writing on my outdoor adventures (like my Return to the Little Missouri River). Thirdly, I ghostwrite for people I can’t tell you about. If you would like to collaborate, please view my Hire Me and contact me there!
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