Did you ever have one of those weeks where all you thought about was getting away from work and to the river to fish? Last week was one of those for me, to the extent I took off on Friday and headed to Rim Shoals. Arriving at the river around noon, my intent was to fish my favorite runs and riffles. The afternoon was very pleasant with mild winds and sunny skies. The water was unusually low making the wading easier, but not necessarily the fishing. Some spots I normally like to fish were practically dry or too shallow to hold trout.
However, there were three areas that had enough water to hold good fish. Other fly fishers were in two of them so I opted for the third. Picking up a couple of decent fish didn't take long but I really wanted to fish the riffle just downstream. As soon as that riffle was vacated, the fly fisher in the lower run moved into it before I could get there. Heck! That's okay. I like the lower run, too. So, I went there. It was still close to the spot I really wanted to fish. Again, I picked up a few nice trout while keeping an eye on the best spot in my peripheral vision. Another fly fisher eased into the run I had just moved out of so all three areas were full again.
A while later, the fisherman in my favorite spot moved. Okay! That was my chance. Often, after someone has fished this area, I can still catch several nice trout out of the swift water as it drops off into a deeper run. As I started in that direction, I noticed the fly fisher from upstream walking down the bank toward the spot I wanted to fish. When he noticed I was headed there, too, (believe it or not) he instantly broke into what I will describe as a fast trot. It wasn't a sprint but a visible trot. He must have had on Nikes instead of wading boots. Since I was in the river, trotting was out of the question for me, so I watched (and fumed a bit) as this guy ran to the riffle I wanted to fish. He waded in, parked and set up housekeeping.
My reaction (being the gentleman I am) was to only mumble under my breath and to fish a circle around 'crazy legs' at a distance that wouldn't violate my own code of fly fishing etiquette. Apparently, he had no conscience because he ignored me completely. Deciding to re-rig and considering my options, I sat down on the nearby bank, contemplating. I could always go back to the lower run (it had been productive earlier) or go back to the upper run (which had been recently vacated by "you know whom".)
There I sat, mulling the circumstances, when all of a sudden I heard a voice coming from the direction of the river. I looked to see if someone had walked up while I was rigging but no one else was there. Then, I noticed the man standing in "my hole" was actually talking on a cell phone. Yes, you heard it right. He was standing there, rod under arm, with a cell phone to his ear. At first, I assumed he was probably calling his wife to let her know what time he would be home. (Soon, I hoped.) Not a chance! He was on the phone way to long to be talking to his wife. Turns out he was making business calls. I couldn't make out every word but it was business for sure. Finished rigging, I returned to fish the lower run while watching in amazement as this 'yahoo' talked on his cell phone for the next 20 minutes without making a cast. Give me a break! I looked around to see if any one else was in the area to witness this strange behavior but everyone had gone except the 'workaholic' and me.
As the sun was quickly making it's way westward and the shadows had long covered the river, I made my way back to the access leaving the 'business magnate' making sales calls from my favorite fishing spot. He probably has a desk, chair and copy machine in there by now. I failed to check if he had on a suit and tie on under his waders. I wouldn't be surprised. I suppose the guy just wanted an office with a view. Hey! Not a bad idea! Instead of going fishing to get away from work, I can take my work with me fishing. So, if you see me on the river in a suit carrying a brief case, a laptop and a copy of the Wall Street Journal, you will understand the reason why. Truth is, I might be in the office more if it was located at Rim Shoals.
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