At the beginning of June, I visited family in Memphis and in Mountain Home, Arkansas. One of my favorite things to do (in the world) is go fishing on the White River with my dad and my Uncle Jimbo. Uncle Jimbo use to work for Ranger Boats and also, before injuries retired him, he used to be a river guide.
The morning began hot but the weather station reported a storm front moving in later in the afternoon.
My dad and I drove over to Flippin, AR to pick up my Uncle and my dad's boat (it is parked in front of Uncle's house). We hitched the boat up, dug for worms, fed the goat, pulled up radishes,killed ants, got our fishing license at Wal-Mart (no trip to rural America is complete until you visit the Wal-Mart) and then finally got on our way.
Living in the concrete jungle of Los Angeles, I forget the splendors and "dangers" of the country. When we first arrived at my Uncle's house, his front yard was full of tiny green grasshoppers, no bigger than my pinkie fingernail. I squealed in delight as they bounced around my feet, immediately transported back to joys of my youth. The smell of fresh mowed grass, tiny bugs jumping in the twilight, the fireflies flashing, the giggles of my cousins. I backed away from the grasshoppers, stepping into a patch of weeds. My father, ever a vigilant dad, immediately warned me away, worried I would pick up chiggers. For those of you who are lucky enough to NOT know what chiggers are, they are tiny bugs that burrow into your skin, causing immense itching.
We have a rule on the boat whenever I am fishing. If the fish doesn't swallow the hook, we set them free. I feel the same exhilaration letting the captured fish slid from my fingers back into the water as I do when I reel them in.
The White River is a cold water river, which is the perfect antidote for a warm summer day. When the intensity of the sun gets to be too much, you dip a toe or a hand into the water, splashing your face.
Fishing for over four hours we caught Rainbow Trout and German Brown Trout. The German Brown Trout is one of the most exquisite fish I have ever seen. Yellow accents on its belly and fins contrast beautifully with its brown spots. Its shimmers and shines in the sunlight.
