Trout Trails

You have to love trout trails. They tease anglers with how they run to and away from a trout stream, and keep us guessing if they are taking us to a magic spot with rising trout. I sometimes wonder if they pull away from a stream to help us appreciate the wider beauty of the area...and to minimize our narrow focus, or obsession, with catching trout.

One thing is for sure, a trout trail along a running mountain stream is good for the soul. Between the clean oxygen, sounds of nature, and catching that gentle breeze in your face, you can't find much in life more invigorating. Need more? Well, step into the stream and feel the cold water on your feet. Still need more? Cast a fly line upstream to a trouty looking spot, and watch your dry fly drift down the current. More? Feel that rush of adrenaline as a wild trout splashes over your fly for a hook set. Now that's living...while being in the moment.

My advice is to step out of the stream after netting a few trout, lay down the rod, and refocus on the surrounding area. Why? To absorb 'the living wilderness' and to feel the energy of it all...yeah, there is more to fly fishing than just catching trout! 

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