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Nine Days
By Larry Offner
I ONCE READ in a popular travel
magazine that you need nine days to truly have a vacation. One needs two
days to distance himself from the troubles of life, five days to truly
relax and enjoy the experience, then two days to prepare for the return
to the rigors of everyday life. I beg to differ.
For me at least it starts with the unmistakable sound of my boat
trailer tongue clanking as I lower it to the hitch of my truck. Snapping
closed the padlock, attaching the safety chains. Then loading all the
necessities in the boat and checking the trailer lights. I take great
pleasure as I roll out the driveway and hear my trailer bounce off the
curb. I'm on the way.
First stop, James' Grill. Two eggs over-easy, bacon, grits,
a hot buttery biscuit and a cup of joe. For dessert, the local chatter.
The attire of the resident breakfast bunch consists mostly of NASCAR
t-shirts and camo. Lots of talk about hunting trips, fishing trips and
of course, the new Bass Pro store. Gosh, I love it! A cup of coffee to
go and I'm back on the road.
Next stop, Gator Corner. A mini-mart, deli, service station
and casino all rolled into one located just north of Pierre Part,
Louisiana, here in the heart of Cajun Country. It's time to pick up the
necessities for a fly fishing trip: ice for the cooler, drinks and then
the important health foods; Vienna sausage, Slim Jims, chips and of
course Snickers! With all the necessities loaded, it's time to travel to
the final destination.
That's Bayou Grobec, located at Pierre Part. I stop at
Gaudet's boat launch. My rig is a fourteen-foot bateau (jonboat for
non-Louisiana residents) with a twenty-five horsepower Mercury hand-till
outboard motor. The boat has no middle seat and a small casting deck
over the front seat, just right for fly-fishing. I untie all the boat
straps, unhook the transom saver and back the boat into the bayou. I
found that it's very difficult to get the boat off the trailer with the
transom saver on…but that's another story. Oh, and the most important
part of a good boat launch: put the drain plug in first!
I push the boat away from boat the launch, sit in the back,
prime the gas pump and give the rope a tug. A huge grin covers my face
from ear to ear when the Merc starts on the first pull. I slowly back
out of the boat launch, look back at the motor to make sure the water
pump is working, and then throttle up. I love the ride down the bayou
with all the camps and boats lined up along the bank. Folks sitting on
their decks having a morning cup of coffee, fishing off their piers or
doing a little yard work. But there'll be no yard work for Larry today.
After a short boat ride down the bayou, I turn into the
first cut. The bayou is lined with cypress trees and palmettos. The only
noise is the sound of other boat engines in the distance. I motor to the
end of the slough and kill the engine. I always fish from the back of
the cut and work my way back to the front. I pull out my fly rod, strip
out some line and tie on my favorite warmwater fly, the Jitterbee. I
troll along looking for a promising spot that might render a nice
stump-knocker bluegill. Then I make the first cast and that's it.
That's when it happens. That's when I realize, I'm on
vacation!
Fly-fishing is my passion. I don't need nine days to find peace from the
doldrums of everyday life. I don't need an expensive trip or a cruise to
rest. All I have to do is pick up a fly rod and make that first back
cast and I've escaped. I don't know exactly why the fly rod is so
appealing to me. Maybe it's the rich history of the long rod, the art of
making a good cast or just the feel of the rod in my hand. The
experience is enhanced even more when I feel the tug of a fish on a fly
that I tied myself. Truthfully, it's probably a combination of things;
being in the outdoors, being on the water or even sharing the trip with
a friend. It's all intertwined together, but at the core is the fly rod.
Vacations are not measured in days or time. A vacation is
an activity, the thing that gives you a break from everyday life.
Something pleasant that occupies your mind and pushes everything else
out. It can be reading a book, playing golf or working in your garden. I
hope you don't need nine days to find peace and rest. I hope you've
found your passion, your escape. But if you haven't, may I suggest… a
fly rod?
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About the Author
and Photographer:
Larry Offner is a native of Southeast Louisiana.
He was raised fishing the saltwater bayous in St. Bernard Parish.
He has a passion for photographing the Louisiana images of his
home state.
His photographs have been displayed in several galleries in the
New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas.
In 2002 Larry discovered fly fishing.
Fly fishing is now his passion and mental escape.
He is the Founder
and Owner of Warm Fly.com.
Larry now resides in Denham Springs, Louisiana. |
