Duchesne, Utah. June 3, 2013. The ancient Romans believed that strawberries relieved symptoms of melancholy. The Strawberry River in Utah most certainly can do the same. Although it did not make the first cut of rivers as I organized my trip, I made a place for this remarkable river after doing some further research and receiving some advice from friends.
Imagine this scene: the clearest water I have yet to see; not another angler in sight the entire day; easy wading; beautiful scenery; 80 degree weather; a great guide; deeply hued brown trout mostly between 16 and 22 inches; and my sister along to try out fly-fishing for the first time and getting hooked – metaphorically. This day brought only grins.
I
believe that the real judge of character is how people handle the tough times in life – whether it is daily stresses or bigger issues like health problems. I have a friend who has a great life – beautiful home, travels extensively, participates in all kinds of sports, dines out, etc. and yet when life gets busy – most often self-imposed – he turns into a raving, complaining maniac. I thought about this person when I fished the Strawberry this week. I wondered if a regular dose of fly-fishing would gain back some perspective for this person such that they could better handle the stresses we all have to manage.
I know that’s one of the bennies for me.
