Comradery and River Magic

The word Comradery is a noun that can mean a lot to other people. Whose synonyms can mean brotherhood, community, fellowship or even society? I kind of like those words actually when referring to my fishing buddies as my comrades.

Fishermen in general are a different bunch if you ask me. And having some friends is a very important part of life. I think we all forget sometimes what is really important. To me having a few buddies improves the quality of my life.  To others what’s important will differ from person to person. But not a Fisherman.

Especially the ones who are my friends and who fish for Oncorhynchus Mykiss. The Steelhead to be exact.

A species of fish that is responsible for more job losses and divorces than any other fish in my opinion. A fish that causes men to lose sleep, call in sick and spend way too much money on the latest gear to pursue them. Although, I have kept my job and never been divorced I have seen it happen. And I’m sure you can see how it could happen too if you’re a fishermen.

Fishing is one of the best bonding activities anyone could ever try. It is such a great way to just relax and unwind from the stresses of life. Enjoying a day on the River with your friends strengthens this bond after each trip. Whether any fish were caught or not.

To the non-fisherman that may not sound like fun. Spending the day not catching anything, but it’s not just the fish we seek, it’s the river and all its magic. Rivers are food for the soul and are in beautiful places. Sharing this time with buddies while pursuing our quarry is where that bonding comes in.

While on the water we tease each other and laugh. Tell funny stories or sometimes even lies. And if we’re lucky we will net or photograph each other’s fish. That’s exactly what happened this weekend on the famed Manistee River in Michigan. I got to spend an amazing day with good friends Fred, Andy and Bob.

I’m so glad Mother Nature co-operated and blessed us with amazing weather with a few fish to boot. I had a blast floating down the river with the snow coming down it was magic. Especially when the floats went down and the mighty Steelhead pulled back! This post is dedicated to you my friends and all that you do for me. Thanks to my fishing comrades you mean so much to me.

I was very sad to come home today even with a deep freeze on its way. I pray that God unthaws the river for another day.

For the River called my soul and I answered yes.

Tight Lines Everyone!