Sheesh! This van is really dirty. The dash is disgusting. Uggh! I don’t want to drive twenty miles to a carwash. Damnit, fine!” With all the on and off thunderstorms, my van managed to build up quite a bit of dirt. It was so dirty, the windshield needed a cleaning far beyond what a gas station squeegee could do. “Okay, but if I’m driving out that far, I’m going taking my fishing rig.”
The drive to Hamilton, for the carwash, was a bit bittersweet. In about a week I’ll be driving through the area for the last time. I’m not going to lie, there was a part of me that just wanted to drive and take it all in before I leave. Sure, I had a desire to go fish, but my mind was elsewhere. Afterall, I’m not sure if I’ll ever make it out this way again.
“Ahh! That’s better. I can actually see out of my windshield. That power wash is something else.” I’m sure my vehicle was quietly thanking me for running it through the wash. A month of caked on dirt and grime would bother me too.
I made my way down toward Missoula. I reckoned since I’d come this far, may as well take advantage of the drive and find somewhere to fish out here. Without any thought and spur of the moment decision making, I turned right off the highway and made my way back to Lee Metcalf Preserve. I figured what the hell; why not. It’s going to be the last time.
Another quiet morning at the preserve. There were only a couple of cars, which I reasoned unless someone is fishing where I’m going, I’ll likely not run into anyone.
As I donned my chest rig and grabbed my rod, there was a part of me that entertained the idea of not even bothering with the fishing and just go walk around and explore. I dunno, something about it being my last time just made it feel different.
“Great! no one is here fishing. And you bloodsucking skeeters aren’t going to get a free meal today.” This time I didn’t forget the bug dope — Picaridin. “Wow! The water level really has dropped considerably.”
I cast the gold spinner around a few times with no luck. I then switched to a silver spinner without any luck. Finally, I tied on a Rapala rainbow imitation and proceeded work it in all the usual spots… No Luck! Oddly, I was indifferent about it. It really didn’t matter today whether I caught anything or not. Hehe, I guess the fish sensed my indifference, so decided not to indulge me.
“Okay, I’m good for the day. Time to go home. Maybe I’ll feel differently about it tomorrow. Wow! I can’t believe this will be the last time I see this place.”
