Kind of funny the different places we find ourselves in. Modern travel has made it possible to leave the city behind and find oneself on seemingly the edge of the world in the space of a day. Folks complain about travel, about flight delays and cramped seats and long travel days. But think about it. A hundred years ago much of the travel we do would have been exceedingly challenging, if not damn near impossible.
Kind of interesting to ponder.
Earlier this month I found myself in the depths of New York City. As a proud rural Montana kid, I’ve made a point to avoid large cities as much as possible. But when in Rome, as they say. Couldn’t not go while I’m here in the northeast. And never one for doing things halfway, I took the train in, then took subways, buses, taxies, and walked endless miles all over Manhattan. And, you know what, it was kind of cool.
I rode a tall ship around Manhattan Harbor and saw the Statue of Liberty. Took a quiet moment at the World Trade Center site. Bummed around Penn Station. Walked Wall Street. Explored Times Square. And took in a show on Broadway. It was a new experience, wandering the city streets solo, camera in hand.
Seven days later I was the Alaskan bush, camera still in hand.
The cool thing about fishing—the thing many anglers can appreciate—is that even though you may be in a new location, chasing a new species, fishing is still fishing. Casting is casting, rigging a rod is the same the world around, flies really aren’t all that different. And fishing guides, some of my favorite folks on this earth, are still fishing guides.
Some things will never change. Thank God for that.
Have to say, though, I felt far more at home wading among migrating sockeye than wandering the streets amid migrating Manhattanites. The fish are a bit better company.
