February…I am officially convinced it is the worst month of the year. At best…It is a tease, with its scattering of sunshine and warm days. But mostly it is just a torment of perpetual gloom punctuated by nasty storms.
We get lost in the long dark of winter, only to be lured yonder by one of those bluebird February days. And we fall for it…every time. We pack up the fly boxes we’ve been filling all winter, we spend two hours scouring the house for all the gear we’ve misplaced since last season, we pour over maps and books….and like silly children drawn to a shiny thing….we go fishing.
And so here, for my own good during future February winter days, I present the top ten reasons NOT to go fly fishing in February.
1. Summer brookie-stream boots are not February brookie-stream boots, by about 4”
2. Tree limbs without leaves are invisible
3. Those new neoprene fishing gloves are actually funnels for getting ice water to your elbows
4. Snow melt does not appear on a radar screen. I am amazed how many times I forget this.
5. Four wheel drive does not work on ice
6. Knots are harder to tie when you can not feel your fingers, especially a size 20 midge
7. Clear water does not mean shallow water, even at road crossings….
8. After going months without catching a trout, this is not a confidence boosting trip – you will question everything you think you once knew about fishing.
9. Cold coffee is no substitute for cold beer
10. Well… what else do you have to do in February? Get out there and look for spring time, you might just catch a glimpse, or if you are lucky, a trout.
Appalachian Mountain Brookies 
Yearning for April!
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Me too buddy!
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Spring is teasing us this morning. It’s 47 right now and rain is coming in sporadic waves. Suppose to get into the 50s today and then cooling off by the end of the week. Spring is certainly teasing us. Ice on the back-roads must be pretty intimidating and downright scary to drive one I’d think. It is really nice to see those pictures of the fast flowing waters though AMB! Soon… soon! UB
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Those pictures are from Virginia and Pennsylvania… this time last year I was catching fish…. Patience is a virtue they say.
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