Excuses #322, #325-27, #14, and #227

The rain was in my eyes.
Tides were wrong.
Water was too Cloudy.
Wrong side of the crick.
Wind was howling.
Wrong rod.

We had 2 mediocre days here at Neil Creek, saved by one dark buck earlier today. Put a lot of miles on the ol' L2's getting that fish, too. About 61/2 miles, along with 3 flies, 14 ft of mono, a burrito, and a half-tin of Skoal...

You know how some people say, "I just love being out here"?

Or our all-time fave, "Saw some great scenery"?

We're not those folks. We know the scenery because we live in it, every day. If we want scenery, we open the curtains.

Fishing hard is the name of the game. Scenery is what you drive through to get to the river.

Don't get it wrong, now. Getting the fin is all part of the game, too. If it was easy, what would be the point?

Days like this serve as a wakeup. The fish are talking to you, telling you how they want it, and you ain't listening.

Days like this just sharpen the sense of purpose.

Us and the fish. We'll be together again soon.