Last night I kayaked over a mirror set beneath a silver half-moon. It was glorious, utterly quiet. I paddled slowly, even with stealth. Tranquility was disturbed only by the occasional sound of my fly-rod, the soft splash of a fly, and the burst of a largemouth smashing the ceiling of its pond. I was on liquid glass beneath a night sky streaked with clouds, sky and water seeming the same thing. I drifted upside-down.
When I finally thought fly fishing a sacrilege in such hallowed air, I broke down my gear and paddled the mile or so home from the far side of the pond; I wended my way down Moose Brook ever so quietly, moving nearly imperceptibly. Occasionally I would glide through pockets of cool air where breathing seemed easier. I wished I was drifting on a mattress, or in a baby's bassinet. I wanted to fall asleep. I thought of a baby, alone, drifting among the water lilies, floating in a basket woven of rushes, of love.
And then I wanted to just roll over, to fall into the crystalline sky, to be baptized again. One final time.
Last night was the latest I had been out this summer on the water, and I think as the full moon approaches, I may stay out till dawn. I've gone out nearly every night during the past two weeks. It's almost a discipline.
It's like compline. It's my evening prayer.
Peace.
©2010/Contratimes. All Rights Reserved.
4 comments:
Do you have running lights on your kayak?
I tried this during the daytime last week. Crossing 2K of open water was the fun part, but trying to keep the kayak oriented while casting and retrieving was an issue for me.
TUP,
No, no. I do not have running lights. I do, however, use a headlamp -- but only when absolutely necessary.
To do what I do the weather has to be relatively calm. Sometimes I paddle upwind and then begin fishing, allowing myself to drift wherever. Then I move over a bit, paddle upwind again, and start the whole thing over in a slightly differently lane. But the ideal weather is calm.
I do have to make micro-adjustments all the time. By keeping the paddle across the cockpit, I am able to use one hand to dip a blade in order to change direction. It's all very subtle, I admit, and often frustrating. But it does work. I took a friend -- a novice kayaker -- out two nights ago and he mastered the technique rather well (he caught three fish to my two).
Earlier this season I tried using an 8-pound anchor on several outings. This works to a point, though I found my kayak pivoting around the axis of the anchor's tether. This was rather annoying, and thus I concluded it was just easier to go anchor free. The negative is that, if fishing, you lose a lot of "touch" when it comes to hook-setting and retrieval. But the kayak, being towed by a hooked fish, does act as an effective drag. And without the anchor there is just one less thing to tangle in the bottom of your boat. And one less thing to lug.
I've not had a night out where I did not catch a bass with my fly rod, which is amazing. One night I landed 8 of 11; and quite a few nights I've caught 5.
Are you fishing for bass, and are you fly fishing?
Thanks for the advice on the anchor.
I have not taken the fly rod out this year, but it sounds like a good idea. I just was given 2 fly rods by my father who no longer can use them, so I have been meaning to try them out on the "bream" (Bluegills, shellcrackers, pumpkinseeds, whatever).
Daytime fishing in the South Carolina heat is often frustrating if looking for Micropterus salmoides. I have had better luck finding them feeding at night in the summertime. I did catch a nice Morone chrysops (AKA: White bass)on a bettlespin lure from the kayak.
TUP,
You are the consummate ichthyologist.
This year I've had my best luck after sunset, and yes, even better luck in the complete dark. As for bait, with the fly rod I've had the most success with Gaines bass poppers.
Post a Comment