Page 12 - Indulge August/September 2016
P. 12
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By Patrick O’Donnell
I’ve been fishing, on and off, since I was about 10 years were tested. And we caught absolutely nothing.
old. I’ve never been particularly good at it, catching as I decided it was time to turn to an expert, so I called
many twigs, branches and rocks (yes, rocks) as I’ve caught David Bittner, owner of the Heritage Fly Shop along the
fish. Yet I enjoy it, sometimes Little Lehigh River in Allentown.
immensely. There’s something In just a short conversation, I
to be said for losing yourself in “Eventually, all things learned more than I’d absorbed in
nature; in the sounds of water merge into one, and a 30-some years of my own awkward
tumbling over the stones of a small angling. For instance, that if you’re
creek or the roar of a river racing river runs through it.” bait fishing for trout with a worm,
toward the ocean. It’s a time for you want it to wriggle along the
introspection and redirection, Norman Maclean, bottom, not float in the middle of
when the troubles of a day, a week “A River Runs Through It” the stream. That the time of the
or a life can be washed clean, year — and day — will dictate
even if only for a few hours. whether fish are interested in said
I recently introduced my young sons to the sport, and worm. That the Lehigh Valley is home to a plethora of trout
in teaching them the basics, it made me realize just how streams because of the prevalence of limestone, which
much I still have to learn. keeps the water cool in summer.
To be clear, I’m a bait fisherman. I never learned the Most importantly, he taught me the biggest mistake
sleight of hand and magical incantations needed to float — an angler can make: “Not paying attention to their
much less tie — a fly. I’m doubtful I could master casting, surroundings.”
which, in the words of “A River Runs Through It” author I thought about that for a while, and realized he was
Norman Maclean, “is an art that’s performed on a four talking about something more than just being aware of where
count rhythm between ten o’clock and two o’clock.” When I the line-eating trees and hook-snagging shrubs are; more
fish, I’m lucky if I can land my line in the same state, much than knowing what type of bait to use and where to cast.
less the stream in front of me. He was talking about being present in the moment,
I have an inexpensive rod and reel combo, a collection about enjoying the beauty that surrounds us when we’re
of hooks and bobbers — some dating back to the Regan out in nature.
administration — and a tackle box that looks a bit like it’s I thought back to that fishing trip with my boys, and
12 | INDULGE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 been rattled around the back of a pickup truck one too remembered something my youngest said when we were
many times, which it has. leaving: “Dad, this was awesome!”
So when I took my sons out with me one warm It dawned on me, then, that we hadn’t left empty-
summer evening, I did my best to teach them how to bait handed. Our evening of snags and snarls and sighs had
a hook, how to cast without dislodging someone’s eye, filled my sons with the joy of being in nature, away from
and how to be patient, waiting for the gentle tug of a line gaming devices and TVs and the air conditioner’s steady
before setting a hook. hum. We hadn’t hooked any fish,
We spent several hours on the shore of Lake but they’d been hooked on
Ontelaunee in Berks County. Fishing lines were tangled. the love of being outdoors.
Tackle was lost. There were close calls involving out-of- It was the greatest
control hooks and body parts. Tempers (mainly mine) catch of all.
By Patrick O’Donnell
I’ve been fishing, on and off, since I was about 10 years were tested. And we caught absolutely nothing.
old. I’ve never been particularly good at it, catching as I decided it was time to turn to an expert, so I called
many twigs, branches and rocks (yes, rocks) as I’ve caught David Bittner, owner of the Heritage Fly Shop along the
fish. Yet I enjoy it, sometimes Little Lehigh River in Allentown.
immensely. There’s something In just a short conversation, I
to be said for losing yourself in “Eventually, all things learned more than I’d absorbed in
nature; in the sounds of water merge into one, and a 30-some years of my own awkward
tumbling over the stones of a small angling. For instance, that if you’re
creek or the roar of a river racing river runs through it.” bait fishing for trout with a worm,
toward the ocean. It’s a time for you want it to wriggle along the
introspection and redirection, Norman Maclean, bottom, not float in the middle of
when the troubles of a day, a week “A River Runs Through It” the stream. That the time of the
or a life can be washed clean, year — and day — will dictate
even if only for a few hours. whether fish are interested in said
I recently introduced my young sons to the sport, and worm. That the Lehigh Valley is home to a plethora of trout
in teaching them the basics, it made me realize just how streams because of the prevalence of limestone, which
much I still have to learn. keeps the water cool in summer.
To be clear, I’m a bait fisherman. I never learned the Most importantly, he taught me the biggest mistake
sleight of hand and magical incantations needed to float — an angler can make: “Not paying attention to their
much less tie — a fly. I’m doubtful I could master casting, surroundings.”
which, in the words of “A River Runs Through It” author I thought about that for a while, and realized he was
Norman Maclean, “is an art that’s performed on a four talking about something more than just being aware of where
count rhythm between ten o’clock and two o’clock.” When I the line-eating trees and hook-snagging shrubs are; more
fish, I’m lucky if I can land my line in the same state, much than knowing what type of bait to use and where to cast.
less the stream in front of me. He was talking about being present in the moment,
I have an inexpensive rod and reel combo, a collection about enjoying the beauty that surrounds us when we’re
of hooks and bobbers — some dating back to the Regan out in nature.
administration — and a tackle box that looks a bit like it’s I thought back to that fishing trip with my boys, and
12 | INDULGE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 been rattled around the back of a pickup truck one too remembered something my youngest said when we were
many times, which it has. leaving: “Dad, this was awesome!”
So when I took my sons out with me one warm It dawned on me, then, that we hadn’t left empty-
summer evening, I did my best to teach them how to bait handed. Our evening of snags and snarls and sighs had
a hook, how to cast without dislodging someone’s eye, filled my sons with the joy of being in nature, away from
and how to be patient, waiting for the gentle tug of a line gaming devices and TVs and the air conditioner’s steady
before setting a hook. hum. We hadn’t hooked any fish,
We spent several hours on the shore of Lake but they’d been hooked on
Ontelaunee in Berks County. Fishing lines were tangled. the love of being outdoors.
Tackle was lost. There were close calls involving out-of- It was the greatest
control hooks and body parts. Tempers (mainly mine) catch of all.
