April means the start of trout fishing in Northwestern Pennsylvania. It's one of the many reasons we chose to live in this area. An abundance of streams are within a few miles of us that are stocked each spring.
My husband and I have been fishing in these streams for 40 years. Our children and grandchildren were raised doing the same. Fishing the same streams for that many years has given me a very close kinship with the water. I have seen how the water and ice have eroded the banks and the islands over the years. I have become familiar with the twists and turns in the water. Wading through these same streams, eyeing up those special pools, runs, and riffles where the trout may be. Every year for as long as I can remember, I wait for the joy that I feel when reeling in that first trout!
All of my senses are in tune with my surroundings. A bald eagle sits in a Sycamore tree nearby. I hear the sound of the duck wings flapping against the wind as they fly over me. The deer cross and play with each other in the water, oblivious to the two people silently sharing their environment.
As the sun is rising above us, I look downstream to see Dave pull in his first trout of the season. It looks like it is going to be a great day!
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