Well, I caught my first trout. A Brown, about 8" long. I caught it on the pine pool which is below the overpass at the rest area on the Willimanic. Jack Marchesseault was my guide and was very kind. He taught me to fish dry flys down stream, across stream and upstream. He also taught me to fish streamers, and nymphs. I caught the trout on a soft hackel which was being dead drifted. I really didn't expect to catch anything, but just planned to learn and practice.

The weather was wonderful. Cool, clear sky, a little breese The water was low as it has been a dry winter and spring... but it was cool to the touch.

This Saturday is my last class. I go to the Willimantic River and fish with another instructor. I missed my casting class. Lousy weather and acute lethargy. Hopefully I didn't miss too much. I've been practicing anyway so it should help. I'm looking forward to this session. I bought a 9 weight Cortland. I need the reel, line, backing et-al, but this is a travel rod and it was marked down. Hooray. I'm having fun anyway.

I just finished a fly tying class. It was wonderful. The guys at the Niantic TU chapter are full of knowledge and humor. I learned a bunch of flies and got a beautiful Orvis/DanVise as a door prize to boot. I'm thrilled, that gift is a big hurdle. I've also been taking a fly fishing class offered by the CT Fly Fishing Association CFFA. My next class will be on a pond perfecting my cast. The last class will be on the Willimantic River. The classes have generally been review since I've spent loads of time reading. The last class was over lines, leaders and knots. This information was really usefull. I think that it was wait the three plus years of waiting to take the class - it ran the same day cub scouts did.

It's hard to believe that it's become winter again. Our brief respite of 60 degrees is over and once again I have only dreaming to do. At least I got some casting practice in. I went to the Rockville Library and signed out Lefty Kreh's book, Presenting the fly. When I spoke with him he said that it was his favorite book "far and away". I had actually signed out this book before and agree, it's a great book. Fun to read with loads of usable, learnable information. Of course, his tecnique of casting is in there, all forms of casting actually. If I had a choice, it would be the book I bought. Maybe I will one day.

The weather out side was so nice, for January, I actually went outside and practiced casting - That was fun. Thinking of Lefty Kreh, always.

I've signed up for a fly fishing class at the CT Flyfishing Club. Finally I have Thursday open. I start in March.

I went to a fly fishing show and actually received 1:1 coaching from Lefty Kreh. It was absolutely the finest experience I've had in a long time. He's 77 years old and as nimble and clear headed as ever. What a wonderful day. I also bought chest waders from Orvis. They're really good quality and were much cheaper than usual because the company was going out of business. Now I have to wait and wait for the weather to clear up so I can fish. Man I can't wait.

The weekend of January 4,5, and 6 is a special group of classes on fly fishing. It doesn't look to promising on being able to see much because of our work schedule. Hopefully we'll be able to go Sunday. There might be a chance to buy those waders at a good price. We'll see....This was a tough year for fishing. With buying a new house and not taking the initiative, I've see very little water.

If there were ever to be an obsession I'd have - let it be fly fishing. Just reading about gives me joy. While watching one of my favorite fishing shows, "The Reel Guys", I heard the phrase "Trumbinik" It was the name of the boat they were on and was actually the name of the guys who go fishing on it. These men were New Yorkers, silly, happy, crazy and in regard to not seeing the World Trade Center anymore, very saddened. Trumbinik means: vagabond, run-around, irresponsible citizen. One of the guys who was on the boat said that his grandmother called him trumbinik when he went fishing. My biggest problem is that I don't give myself permission to be trumbinik. I don't get out there because I don't let myself get out there. St. Peter, fisher of men, pray for me. :-)