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February 3, 2006
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Blackhawk fishing guide Tom Atkins and Gay Shook.
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I come from a long line of fishermen so it was not a surprise that I loved my first time out fly-fishing. I was delighted to catch this little pan-sized rainbow trout, my first fish, but perfectly willing for Tom to hold it for the photo! I think one has to work up trying to hold a wiggly and slippery live trout with one’s bare hands, don’t you? Tom also removed the hook and returned the little guy to the river for me. But, it was still my first fish.
Blackhawk Trophy Trout Stream bills itself as Georgia’s most exclusive trophy trout waters. It is located on a gorgeously forested stretch of the Soque River that runs through private land, not too far from Clarkesville, Georgia, up in Habersham County. It is probably one of the best-kept secrets in the angling world today because the trout I saw in that river were
huge. Even without Polaroid sunglasses, you could see the rainbows and browns in the clear rushing waters. Unfortunately, the fish could also see me and you know what that means. The Soque is a catch-and-release river so I’d say some of those big trout probably know the drill well.
You can visit Blackhawk online at
www.blackhawkflyfishing.com
. Proprietors John
and Abby Jackson
and their three black Labrador retrievers would love to hear from you. You can e-mail them at
info@blackhawkflyfishing.com
. We had a blast!
Just as an aside, let me mention that fly-fishing is a wonderfully relaxing pastime. Nothing like it! But, it has its humorous viewpoint also. On this day at Blackhawk, I was paying a good bit of money to stand out in the cold in a 46-degree rushing river all day, catching a fish I could not keep. Put like that, it doesn’t sound too brilliant, does it? No matter, I’m hooked!
We changed fishing spots on the river from time to time, which meant that one had to clamber up the riverbank and back down again somewhere else. No steps. It was a cold day so I was bundled up with leggings under my trews in my waders. Wader boots are a little like what I remember Herman Munster wearing, so the clambering up and down the riverbanks wasn’t exactly graceful, if you know what I mean. At one point, my husband had to pull and Tom Atkins had to push to get me up the hilly bank. We could have used a derrick for me, that would have been nice. We snapped the end off a fishing rod in one of these highly visual maneuvers, too. Just call me Grace.
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Ladies, if you haven’t read Mary Kay Andrews’s
new book,
“Hissy Fit,” go find a copy as soon as possible and get ready to laugh. This novel is based in Madison, Georgia, so if you know that historic Southern small town, you’ll recognize a lot of the places, and that is fun. I have this dinky book light that I use to read in the bed at night when my husband is sleeping. I was laughing so hard reading
“Hissy Fit,” but trying not to make a sound so I wouldn’t disturb him. He woke up anyway because I was laughing so hard I was shaking the bed. He grumpily mumbled something about “earthquake.”
I love books that make me laugh like that! Men should read this book, too; they might learn something.
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We have discovered Il Divo
and are disappointed that their 2006 World Tour isn’t coming anywhere near Atlanta. Il Divo is a group of four young men (they are all drop dead handsome!), who have amazing voices; they have taken opera to a fabulous new level. They sing old favorite and familiar romantic songs in several languages, some in English, and the music is absolutely mesmerizing. You won’t be able to leave it alone! I can understand why they have soared to the top of the charts in America, and this happened without a single release. They are top of the charts in 13 other countries as well. Imagine listening to romantic music with the power of opera, all the while sitting on the grounds of Warwick Castle in England. That’s happening in July. What a concert venue!
Romance has languished in our younger generation, I think. This explosive response to Il Divo surely has to mean that there is a powerful pent-up demand for emotional classical romantic music. I’m not the only one hooked by this music in this family, thank heavens—my sweet husband is the one who brought the CD’s home.
You can visit Il Divo on the web and hear streams of their music. Click on
www.Ildivo.com
. What a wonderful Valentine’s gift to your sweetie! Buy them all. You won’t hear these guys on the radio, or at least, I certainly haven’t. Radio stations probably don’t know what to do with crossover music quite like this. Buy your own CD’s. The music is just fabulous!
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Thanks so much for reading. Hope all is well.
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