Morning Mayflies

Thought For The Day

First you breath out and look across as much of the river as possible. Then, go from wide angle to a tighter focus of just the area the light shines on. It looks a bit like a path toward the sun. As your eyes relax and your body loses its tension you begin to notice the insect life in, above and beyond the water. Much of the insect life is very small, seemingly too small to be important. Then, the aerial denizens make their presence known with in flight captures of the wee beasties.

As you grasp the biosphere more clearly the clockworks precision becomes apparent and then you see the mayflies as they rise and drop, rise and drop, then fall to the surface on the gentle current of the river. Then, without remark nothing but a dimpled concentric ring. As sure as coffee in the morning the baetis have arrived, tiny blue winged olive mayflies, a staple of the watchful trout.

A 6x tippet, fisherman's knot, a tug to tighten and the early looks, fore and aft before the back-cast, then the soft uncurling ess and a feather drop on the surface. Let the games begin my friends.

©Herb Ratliff, May 9, 2012, All Rights Reserved