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Trout Bums at Large is a monthly column appearing in the Yakima Herald-Republic and the Seattle Times. The column is written by Randal Sumner and Mark Littleton. We will be keeping an archive of these articles on this page.
CARNEGIE HALL by Randal Sumner 08/01/2002
You know the old joke, “ How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice,
Practice, Practice. Well fly fishing contrary to conventional wisdom
is about Seeing, Seeing, Seeing not casting till your arm goes bad.
You only have so many casts in that arm, don’t waste them beating
the water into a froth. I realize you paid some ungodly sum for
that rod, but trust me it won’t make you a better fisherman, a little
fish biology and bug observation will work wonders on the road to
becoming a fishing god. How many times have you been in a blizzard
of caddis flies at dusk and could not buy a strike? The light is
running out and your casting your #16 elk hair to boiling fish till
your hyperventilating, no takers. We dream of these moments, to
be at the right place at the right time, yet once there we often
blow the opportunity. Why? Mostly its because were excited and emotional,
the trout on the other hand are not. Lets review, first the trout
are full time fish we at best are part time anglers. Second, we
wish to bend them to our will, after all we are packing around $9000
worth the newest and greatest gear. Third we read too much bad fly
fishing information and we don’t want to trust our own eyes. Master,
what is the answer? Well grasshopper it’s complicated.
I had a dream years ago that I was fishing with Picasso and in
the dream he kept calling me Jimmy, it was Jimmy this and Jimmy
that and he smoked a lot of cigarettes. I remember asking him not
to litter, and each time I was about to start casting he would stop
me, “ not yet, the fish aren’t ready” he’d whisper. We sat on the
bank and watched the trout and finally he told me he could see what
and how they were taking, and in the dream he stood and threw a
perfect line. Of course I knew he would after all he was the full
time Picasso. It’s the certainty that he would catch fish that I
most remember about that dream, that and waiting while he smoked
and watched the shapes in the river. I hope this helps grasshopper.
If you can’t find the time to just be, maybe this fly fishing is
to complicated for you. Do you really know how to get to Carnegie
Hall?
More Trout Bum Articles: 01/26/2010: Redfish Round-up by Randal Sumner 11/24/2009: Kentucky Don and English Bob by Randal Sumner 08/25/2009: A word about Bears by R.Sumner 06/30/2009: Polar bear hugging by Randal Sumner 01/27/2009: Christmas letters by Randal Sumner 11/25/2008: Trip to Eden by Randal Sumner 08/07/2008: Mime Time by R. Sumner 06/02/2008: fuel vs fishing by R. Sumner 05/01/2008: Long sleeve Hawiian shirt by R.Sumner 02/07/2008: The Empire by R. Sumner 11/29/2007: Troutbum self-help by R. Sumner 09/04/2007: The Perfect Client by Randal Sumner 07/02/2007: High Anxiety by R.Sumner 03/29/2007: Grasshopper by Randal Sumner 01/25/2007: Chinese food by R. Sumner 11/30/2006: Old Whitey by R.Sumner 09/28/2006: Chief Holland USN retired by R. Sumner 07/10/2006: BBQ by R.Sumner 05/30/2006: Cashmere by R. sumner 03/30/2006: Sterling Choices by Randal Sumner 01/26/2006: Tying with Pablo by Randal Sumner 12/01/2005: Brrr by Mark Littleton 11/24/2005: Thanksgiving 2005 by randal Sumner 09/01/2005: Anchors Away by Mark Littleton 07/01/2005: Some kinda fun by Randal Sumner 05/01/2005: The Base Lake by Randal Sumner 04/01/2005: Humble Pie by Mark Littleton 03/01/2005: Dance monkey dance by randal Sumner 01/01/2005: Where are the Instructions? by Randal Sumner 12/01/2004: Das Boat by Mark Littleton 11/01/2004: What me Worry? by Mark Littlton 10/01/2004: Priorities by Mark Littlton 09/01/2004: Falling In by Mark Littleton 08/01/2004: Ice Fishing by Randal Sumner 07/01/2004: Honey, I flooded the basement by Randal Sumner 07/01/2004: Elvis Lives by Randal Sumner 06/01/2004: Coyote by Randal Sumner 05/01/2004: Redfish and Capt. Dan by Mark Littleton 04/01/2004: Vested Interest by Randal Sumner 03/01/2004: Are you a Troutbum? by Mark Littleton 12/01/2003: Christmas presents by Mark Littleton 11/01/2003: Oklahoma by Randal Sumner 10/01/2003: Steel heading JuJu by Randal Sumner 09/01/2003: Motor Home by Randal Sumner 08/01/2003: Life is Funny by Mark Littlton 07/01/2003: Deschutes by Mark Littleton 06/01/2003: Class of 2002 by Randal Sumner 05/01/2003: BOAT FISHING by Mark Littlton 04/01/2003: ALASKA, LAND OF THE MIDNIGHTBLUE TARP by Randal Sumner 03/01/2003: MARCH BROWNS by Mark Littleton 02/01/2003: DEEP IN THE HEART OF IDAHO by Randal Sumner 01/01/2003: TOP TEN by Mark Littleton 12/01/2002: SAN MIGUEL by Randal Sumner 11/01/2002: DISNEYLAND by Randal Sumner 10/01/2002: CAMPING by Mark Littleton 09/01/2002: MMMM MAYFLIES by Mark Littleton 07/01/2002: CRAWFISH PIE by Randal Sumner 06/01/2002: Sons and Pals by Mark Littleton 03/01/2002: Visitation by Randal Sumner 02/01/2002: Ouch by Mark Littleton 01/01/2002: Death by Randal Sumner 11/01/2001: Leakers by Randal Sumner 09/01/2001: Poser by Randal Sumner 08/01/2001: Snake River Diary by Mark Littleton 08/01/2001: It's Hard by Mark Littleton 07/01/2001: Etiqutte by Randal Sumner 06/01/2001: June by Mark Littleton 05/01/2001: Road Trip to Paradise by Randal Sumner 04/01/2001: What Are They Doing Up There? by Mark Littleton 03/01/2001: Gear by Randal Sumner 02/01/2001: Soft Hackles by Mark Littleton 01/25/2001: Motivation by Randal Sumner 12/28/2000: Winter Fishing by Mark Littleton 11/30/2000: Old Blackie by Randal Sumner
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