NMZ banana river

I should change my fly out...



The eyelets are tyed on, at least...with what, I'm not too sure...twine, maybe?

I’ve hit the No Motor Zone several times lately in the canoe with the old fly rod with not much success.  The winds have been relentless so hugging in tight to the east shoreline has been just about the only option for a river rat like me to get on the water. Adam and I have seen lots of fish, but moving at mach 7 with the wind pushing at our back makes it tough to get a fly in front of a fish.  Every time I get out there I’m filled with envy and jealousy thinking of the anglers that have mastered the art of fly fishing. I ponder whether or not to challenge myself by grabbing the fly rod more often and making it a staple to tell people, “yeah, I caught it on fly.” But my confidence seems a bit freighted for some reason.  I know for one thing my rod is a hand-me-down from my brother-in-law that he got at a church garage sale for ten bucks ten years ago…and my reel…well, let’s just say I’ve had it since I was 13 years old. I, on the other hand, kinda like the fact that the rod and reel are only a step up from what the monks use in the medieval times and yet I can still catch occasionally fish...

If you ever wondered what a fishing reel made of piss and vinegar looked like...well...here it is. I can't tell you how many fish this has caught... 35 maybe in the last 15 years? That's a lot for me.  Most have been in the St. John's River.