winter’s glaze

Ah, the off-season. The most glorious time of the year (*most of the time).

For western fish bums, this is a 5-ish month period of time where one experiences refreshing sanity, utter boredom and varying forms of, “oh shit, I’m running out of money.”

For some, enduring winter requires channeling your focus into a new, seasonally available hobby. For others, it’s laying low - tying flies, chiefing exorbitant amounts of pot and waiting for the sun to shine again. And for the weak, it’s simply migrating to warmer waters (just kidding, kinda). These over-simplified categories are not mutually exclusive either. I am at some points, a combination of all three.

Winter is a mind game. There are the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. When it gets dark at 4:30 and the wind has been blowing for a week straight, you begin to lose your mind. For some, it straight up gets lonely. The energy from your surrounding environment seems to deflate as winter progresses. It can gradually take a toll on a man. But it sure can be relaxing after a busy year.

So, go pick your buddy up and buy him a beer. Tie some flies with friends. Go skiing. Go hunt. Go ice fishing. Stay connected with your fishing amigos because you aren’t the only one battling the highs and lows of winter. Embrace winter for what it is, because it’s super rad with the right mindset.