Tangled Lines

The transition between winter and spring is a tough time for this pescador.

Every time it looks like the planets will align, there’s some weather, like the recent foot or so of snow.

I did take a whack at Housatonic in the no man’s land between the power station in Falls Village and the falls the day after the snowstorm.

It’s early March, and that means it’s tackle fondling time.

Connecticut and New York have both eliminated closed seasons for most inland trout fishing, but cold respects no human regulation.

And after the subzero temperatures on Feb. 3 and 4, I have not been in any big hurry to suit up and go fishing.

With a few hours in hand on Saturday, Jan. 14, I voyaged forth, looking for fishable water.

Stream number one was raging, which is what I was afraid of.

Stream number two I skipped, because getting in and out would require more time than I had.

Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean fishing is over.

Winter fishing has a lot going for it, including: snow, ice, frigid winds, general misery, and the very real chance of serious injury from taking a header on the ice.

There is also an excellent chance of developing hypothermia after taking an unscheduled bath.

Shopping for the angler is not easy, even for other anglers. The sport involves a lot of technical stuff, which combined with personal preference and a hearty dose of completely irrational prejudice, makes it easy for the unwary to drop the proverbial brick.

SOMEWHERE IN NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT — The plan was to corral the Master and the Novice, take advantage of the clement early November weather, and hike to the obscure brook trout stream. There I would take many spectacular photographs and listen intently while the Master imparted Wisdom to the Novice.

By the time this edition of this award-winning fishing column is published, I will be in the middle of a week’s vacation near the Esopus Creek in Phoenicia. N.Y.

It’s a pleasant situation. The best feature of the ancestral estate is the almost complete lack of electronic communications.

BOICEVILLE, N.Y. — When we last checked in with Gary, he was getting used to his new life of austerity.

See, he’d made the mistake of going to the doctor for a once-over, and the medico brought in a couple of colleagues and gave Gary’s system the gang gong.