You're Gonna Miss This...

 A glance at the ten day forecast says it all.  We're on a short leash.  The window of opportunity is closing quickly.  Now is the time.  In a couple days we'll all be stuck inside again, looking longingly out the window, wishing that there was somewhere, anywhere, that we could go out and fish.

Today we did what anybody with a day to spend on the creek would do.  Facing the inevitable cold weather, snow, and ice in the near future we went fishing.  Our mindset wasn't all that different from yesterday; we didn't quite know what to expect, but then again, we didn't really care either.

The first hole we fished was productive, and within a couple minutes we'd landed a double.

Don Juan reminded me that mine was the smaller one.

And then he caught a big one. 

With all the cold weather we've had over the past month in Cleveland, we'd been cringing to see what this last blowout had done to a lot of our fish.  As hardy as our steelhead are, when its them vs. ice they usually end up losing.  Beautiful, strong, hardy fish turn in to cat food.  Much to our pleasure, this wasn't the case.  With the warm water we had last week, some new arrivals had made their way in to the rivers as well.

 Schaaaawing!

Another good one.

"Tell me fish, what direction are your friends?"

They were over here.

See you later buddy.

As we ended the day we sat down on the bank and popped the top on some Dead Guy ale (one of Dudewater's favorite brews).  At the end of any really good day of fishing, philosophical discussion is inevitable.  Today was no exception.  After rambling on about fishing, life, and the intersection of each we started reflecting on the day's fishing, and just how great the past couple days in general had been on the water.  It's funny how after a day like today you come to one simple realization - these times are too good to last.  In a couple days we'll all be stuck inside again, looking longingly out the window, wishing that there was somewhere, anywhere, that we could go out and fish. 

As we finished the beer, and made a couple last casts in to the same run where we started our day, the wind shifted, the temperature dropped, and a steady snow began to fall.  It felt like the beginning of the end.  It was damn good while it lasted but boy, we're gonna miss it.