The last week of photos has to be considered pretty amazing. The factors all conspired to give us a solid bit of fishing. But, the weather is fickle here, giving you a choice of getting soaked and eaten alive by sandflies with warm, muggy, pouring rain on the coast, or heading east and getting blown to hell in 80 to 140kmh winds. Sure, there aren't many sandflies in the wind, but how long do you try to fish in that?
So it is now, with the forecast of rain, showers, heavy rain, rain, and showers for each of the 10 days in the west coast forecast. Or, we head east and endure hot head winds. It's 11am and I still have no idea which direction to head.
I'm not too worried about it.
In nearly 3 months of fighting the elements and trying to make the best decision for our fishing... it has taken its toll mentally and physically, something you can't appreciate unless you spend a full 2 or 3 months... getting past the initial adrenaline of the first few weeks or month and getting into the second month and realizing that the body gets tired. It's not like you fish every day or impose upon the elements that you will fish every day on home waters. The psychology of extended trips, trying to be on the right water at the right time, driving to be ahead of changing variables... and hiking 8 to 30km in a day over some serious terrain or driving the coastal or alps highways. On a shorter trip, like our 6 week trip a few years back, you have adrenaline to carry you through the first weeks followed by a thrust at the mid way point that you only have a couple of weeks left. These longer marathons certainly have a different way about them, and at some point you simply sit back and enjoy the ride.
Obviously, the epic fishing of the last week has me not too worried about catching too many more fish. The 'worst' part of it is that I also find myself struggling to think of new things to photograph and video capture. It's funny - once we leave and regain perspective we'll think of new things to do next year. New things to see, new angles, new camera lenses, etc. But right now, there's just a feeling of enjoying typing on the computer, listening to the cicadas in the bushes outside, enjoying the muggy sun before the rains come, enjoying just being. There is no have to, no drive to conquer or discover. Just a relaxing spirit, enjoying 'this'.
Perhaps we'll try to head down the coast anyway. There's a third species of penguin we want to see. There's a couple new rivers to check out. A spring creek or two at the end of the road, a place we've not been. Perhaps some deeper perspective will come that I can add to the video that we're working on. Perhaps we'll just continue to enjoy life. Perhaps that is the point.
There comes a point at which I don't long for anything more nor less. To be here or there. Home or away. And that can happen anywhere, any time, as I find out more and more this past year. And nothing confirms this more than the fact I am sitting on a wooden bench by myself, typing to a blog with a few folks back home tuning in. And I'm really happy.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
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