[Jeff Higgins]

Hmmm... fly fishing... something I fully intended to "get back to" once I retired. Five years ago.

I did, initially, "refresh" all of my gear. I replaced all of the dried out fly lines, leaders, and tippets occupying my Pflueger Medalist 1495 and its spare spools, and my Orvis Battenkill 7/8 and its spare spool. Dug out my old Fenwick FF857 8 1/2 foot 7 weight, went to my local fly shop and bought a bunch of nymphs, wet flies, and dry flies. Even some new felt bottomed wading shoes. I was ready...

Then I got on line and started researching, something I was unable to do when I gave it up over 25 years ago. Where to fly fish in my area? Close to home, no more than an hour drive, like I used to. I assumed all of my old haunts were still suitable, I just wanted current information.

Well, it turns out that fishing the rivers and streams within an hour of the Seattle metro area is kind of a non-starter these days. There are, essentially, no more fish. But there are the "forrest people". Apparently one cannot leave one's vehicle parked and beat the brush to the stream and any likely fishing hole without these "forrest people" ransacking one's vehicle. They take advantage of the fact that you are both out of sight and out of earshot. According to all of the local chat forums, this has become a real epidemic. Just not worth even trying, at least locally.

Which more or less dashed my plans - this was going to be a quick early morning, or late evening trip kind of thing, without having to make a big commitment and "go" somewhere. Maybe I'll still do that, go camping out on our Peninsula, east of the Cascade mountains, and that kind of thing. A lot more commitment, though. But I do have all of my gear ready...