Author’s note: I wrote the original article a number of years ago, but never posted it. CRS applies here. As the 2009 opener of Indiana’s stream trout season approaches, I thought I needed to “get-r-done” as a famous comedian is so fond of saying. The first part of the article is what I originally wrote in what some now consider ancient history. I then updated it to what is going one now. Some of the traditions portrayed are no longer practiced and were changed out of necessity. Others have evolved to where they are today. Set back and enjoy it for what it is. I present:
The rambling thoughts and time
tested fishing techniques all highlighted with true fishing stories and
other feats of magic by Lynn W. Burry.
In this edition:
First I want to extend my
regards and warmest greetings to all my fans (both of you) and apologize for
not getting back to you sooner. Something I am learning as I work on this
endeavor is how quickly time seems to slip past me. I have come to the
conclusion that I must break down and purchase a cheap laptop to take with
me. Then I can immediately note stuff I might want to include in future
editions of “Riffles.” It would also help me overcome my chronic condition
of CRS (can’t remember stuff). I’m getting to the age where I must make a
list to remind me of something, knowing I have a bad habit of forgetting
where I put that list. Speaking of CRS, I’d better get on with the theme of
this episode.
The “Opening Day of Trout
Season” is a “Must Celebrate” tradition for many and a “Right of Passage”
for others. My experiences have been no different. For me, Opening Day was
always more than a one-day event. I’d struggle late into the night to pack
my stuff, and checking that list I mentioned earlier so I wouldn’t forget
anything. I would either leave for camp right after getting off work on
Thursday afternoon or leave at oh-dark-thirty on Friday morning and head to
the Pigeon River. After setting up camp, I’d go for a drive around the
Pigeon River Fish and Wildlife property to see what had changed over the
long winter. Surveying my favorite fishing sites, talking to old friends I
hadn’t seen since last year’s opener, do some nature photography or just
plain schmoozing around filled the rest of the day. In early evening I’d
build a cooking fire to prepare a fine meal for my camp partners before
settling in by a blazing campfire to enjoy a good cigar and a couple or
three adult beverages while digging into a big bag of salted-in-the-shell
peanuts. In the early years, the season opened at 12:00AM on the last
Saturday in April. I’ve never been much for night fishing. I preferred to go
to bed early, ignore the campground’s noise and dream of the coming day.
Rising at daybreak, my
group would go to the Mongo Fire Department’s to partake of their annual
breakfast fund-raiser and enjoy a huge, hearty meal. While at the Fire
Station, I would set-up a small display representing the Northeastern
Indiana Trout Association. I always enjoyed an opportunity to talk about
NEITA, fishing and anything else that came to mind with fellow anglers that
would stop by the table. Around 10:00 AM, I was ready to fish and would head
for the river meet up with the rest of the group that had left me behind at
the Fire Station. By then the crowds had thinned considerably so would I
would have great stretches of steam where I was the only fisherman. I didn’t
need a lunch because of the huge breakfast, so I’d fish until early evening.
Sometimes I’d keep a few fish, other times I released all that I caught. I
was always hoping to catch a nice Brown released by NEITA the previous year.
Traditions Change
Fat-forward a few years and
I find life is still very good. I’m a lot older, and I hope wiser, but also
a little softer. I finally got a laptop (but still suffer from CRS) and I
still try to leave home Thursday night or Friday morning. I no longer camp
on opening weekend, opting instead to stay at my brother-in-law’s lake
cottage a few miles from the river. A warm bed and the hockey play-offs on
the satellite TV beat a cold sleeping bag and the hard ground any day.
Another new tradition is our enjoyment of the Friday Night Fish Fry at the
Orland American Legion.
Other things that have changed are the people I have encountered over the past twenty-one years. Many are still good friends that I only see this one time of the season. Others have moved away or have passed on to the great home waters in the sky. And while some of the few bad apples of any barrel exist, the Indiana Conservation Officers have made their presence known and are slowly culling out some of the more flagrant violators. I am also pleased to notice many new faces and see more families participating in and making their own “Opening Day” tradition.
The trout rules have also evolved over the years. At the urging of many anglers and fishing groups, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources made some important rule changes. The starting time was moved from midnight to 5:00 AM. This move itself helped resolve some past problems. And because of Indiana adopting Daylight Saving Time, the starting time was changed to 6:00 AM in 2007. Another change a few years ago was the daily bag limit rule. That limit was lowered from 10 trout to 5 trout per day thus leaving more fish in the water to catch the next time out. Another change to the creel limits is that while you can still keep five trout per day, only one may be a Brown Trout. I urge you to check the new Indiana Fishing Guide and bring yourself up to date. Trout fishing just keeps getting better in Indiana. I would like to encourage you to start your own tradition by taking the family or friends out and give it a try. As Mikey was so fond of saying, (for those old enough to remember the commercial) “try it, you’ll like it.”
Until next time, may the inside of your waders (and boats) always be dry.
Lynn