It's been a long wait

When I cased the shotgun on New Year’s Day the opening of hunting season was eight months away.

It seemed like a very long time to wait.

It always does.

But this year especially, the wait seemed interminable. Winter lasted longer than usual, delaying the start of fishing season by a good month.

I love to fish. It helps kill time until I can hunt again. This year, however, the winter was so bad, that the fish winter-killed in many of my favorite ponds.

For a while, I turned to yard work and gardening to fill my days, but soon lost interest. I’d rather cast flies in a barren pond than mow my law...