The long walk to Chardonnay
Things on my bucket list include (but are not limited to) blending and bottling my own white wine; living in Italy for at least a six month to one year period and renovating a one Euro property; travelling around Argentina together with Rich in an old pimped-up motor home, finding the lesser known fishing spots and enjoying village life (an episode of fun with Dick & Joan); walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain; fashioning a small bamboo river rod. I might need to live to 100 as I could go on and on. It is only okay for an angler to lie about the time. “Oops, sorry, can’t make it to dinner on time…had a flat on the way back [meanwhile smashing fish on the evening rise while sipping on chardonnay].” The handiest survival skills I have apply to both fishing and life in general. ‘Don’t do it and don’t leave home without water and rehydrate. Oh, and wear sensible shoes! Yep, same for both.” One skill I would like to master is fly tying. I’m friggin’ useless! I just haven’t given it time even though I have a shop full of materials at my disposal. It’s so much easier to pass the orders on to the Champ and top up his red wine every now and then.
100
How best should one face one’s fears? I do not often talk about my long struggle with panic attacks and anxiety since I was in high school and perhaps that is just part of the answer to this question – one should talk about it. My good doctor, an avid fly fisher who’s travelled this journey with me, says I clearly need to go fishing more. Good advice I should take! What I get out of fly fishing has changed over the years. I am less obsessed about the quarry and more in love with the cast, the surroundings and sucking up the moment. If I could change one thing in fly fishing, it would be to make trout sleep in a bit longer in the morning…especially in winter. Something I have changed my mind about is that I now believe that your health and that of the ones you love is your single richest blessing. All else is less if you do not have your health. The last fish I caught was a rainbow trout here at Mbona – small but feisty…and oh so pretty. Follow Linda @lindagorlei
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