Christmas Eve

  Several years ago I wrote a Front Page about a friend of mine from high school with whom I had recently reconnected. Kent and I have remained in close contact over the last several years and were just texting tonight. Probably like many of you, our first order of business was to wish one another a Merry Christmas.

  As we got past the exchange of pleasantries, we both lamented that neither one of us felt like we had fished enough in 2023. For me, "the business of life" just got in the way. And when I say the business of life, I truly mean that because my angling-related business EXPLODED this year. Everyone says thats a great thing, but growing too big too fast is one of the biggest predictors of business failures, so I tread very lightly when making business decisions with a rapidly growing company.

  I did, however, have several good trips this year...and perhaps the most memorable wasn't even a fly fishing trip. Back in September, I had a stellar day on Powderhorn Lake with a spinning rod bringing nine Redfish and four Flounder to hand in less than 2 hours...it was fantastic. The next day my buddy Phil gave me a hard time about not throwing a fly at so many fish! But, the truth is that I just can't bring myself to flyfish out of a kayak. It just doesn't feel like the optimum position to take advantage of the complete fly fishing experience. Under normal circumstances, I would have had Jackson in the bow with me on the pole, and we would have been right in our element. For better or worse however, Jackson is getting older and more independent and is on the cusp of taking control of the direction and trajectory of his own life, This is a GREAT thing, but it does leave me with a slight dilemma on how best to move forward.

  So, as I texted with Kent on this Christmas Eve, I was reminded that another year has passed, and although I am extremely proud of the things I have accomplished in the angling industry, I am still not getting the fix I need to feel complete. And by fix, I simply mean more days on the water. I suspect that 2024 will be a year of realignment, recalibration, and reengagement, of my fishing life. This of course is not a bad thing, but will necessitate some forethought and planning on my part.

  In the meantime, I am off to stuff myself with a fine Christmas Eve dinner. It is my sincere hope that wherever all of you are if you are celebrating this holiday, I hope that you have a safe and happy holiday season.

Best Regards,

Andy