The Report from Spotted Tail 7/12//11
One finds the otherwise obnoxious roar of jet engines reassuring when one is 37,000 feet above the ground. I take comfort in that roar as I head to Alaska, typing while at my seat.
Bride Susan and I just spent most of a month on holiday in England. We had a fantastic time and I highly recommend a visit to anybody. We did no fishing, although I dreamed about it several times while sleeping.
The clock tower at the house of Parliament.
I watched match fishermen fish for little coarse fish in what I considered to be pretty nasty looking water. From busses and trains I saw a handful of fly fishermen fishing for Atlantic salmon in lovely, historic rivers. While walking around York I saw a sizable pike suspended in the waters of a canal.
My lovely wife at a restaurant in York.
If you live in Florida you don’t travel to the UK or Europe to go fishing.
We visited some beautiful old towns in addition to York- Bath, Stratford-upon-Avon, (kind of touristy), Carlisle, and of course London. We walked across the country from Newcastle to Carlisle along Hadrian’s wall, which was the northernmost frontier of the Roman empire, taking nine days to do so. That was Susan’s idea, and it was a great one.
Hiking along the ruins of Hadrian's Wall, built during the first century AD.
Surprisingly, the highlight of the trip for me was attending an evensong service at Westminster Abbey. It was a powerful experience- the droning song of the pastor, the angelic harmonies of the choir, the ancient columns soaring towards the heavens, the history of generations of kings and queens being crowned and buried there. If something like that doesn’t move you you’re incapable of being moved.
But tomorrow I’ll be at Goodnews River Lodge. The king salmon will still be running. The river will be full of sockeyes and chums. Early pinks and dolly varden will be showing. And the resident rainbows and grayling will be there, as always.
Best of all, there will be only a handful of anglers to fish over 100 miles of wilderness river. Some of them will have big teeth and be covered with shaggy fur.
My first report and photos should be on Sunday.
Embrace simplicity.
Life is great and I love my work!
Life is short- go fishing!
John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com/
All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2011. All rights are reserved.
nice changeup eh?
Shuttle launch was overcast, but still we felt that patriotic swell in the chest mixed with a bit of sadness knowing it was the last time.
I look forward to amazing posts from Goodnews lodge.
Herb Jones
Online Potential inc.
check out my marketing blog