Mika Lappalainen | Friday, 5 May 2023
I had good casying training period going in winter. Weather was hard and still I enjoyed training. Past month has been more or less something, lot of work around reindeer to get them to the wild. Weather has been nice but circumstances not, so I haven't been casting.
They say that men are having crisis of the fifties. I assume that means that when we get fifty years old we buy or do something to compensate our age. Something like buying motorcycle, sport car, dating younger woman.... something like that. In my case instead of motorcycle it could be snowmobile :D
I'm not turning fifty yet so I don't have that specific crisis yet. I sold one of our snowmobile during the winter and I do miss freedom it gave to me. That is not the issue. My crisis are much more difficult.
My crisis are all about fishing and that worries me. Reindeer are out in the wild now, we do have some in the fence, but it is not much work now. Problem is my training area for casting. Snow has melted, well not all but much anyway. It means that my casting area is free from snow but it is all the time wet and soft because of water. And because area is part of the field I can't use it. "Road" which was other training area is just mud now, reason is same, melting snow. Today is the first day that you could walk on the snow. (last night it was -10 celsius, 14 Fahrenheit) So snow got so hard that you can walk on that. That won't last more than few hours in really early morning.
Why you don't go on your lake and ice. Well they have been harvesting forest on the way and it is not really safety to go thru that area when machines are working. Main reason has been not using lake that it reminds about getting ready...
Last spring we did casting training on ice, reason was that we were getting ready for Malaysia trip. Now when I go on ice, I remember our trip. And that brings me to my crisis.
Fishing in Malaysia with Paul was something out of this world. When I returned from Varzina, I wanted to go back because great fishing. And still feeling after Varzina was nothing like this.
Fishing in Malaysia was absolutely difficult, partly because I was not totally prepared. Heat was one problem but not bad after all. Fishing was really like victory or die, it is impossible to describe. It has so many levels, searching, getting position, cast, accuracy etc... It really challenges you.
Evenings in the boat with Paul (and Ashly), having few beer, talking about fishing or some casting, Unforgettable moments. Jungle... that worries me... I'm scared of snakes, for man who has been living half of his life in snow, difficult but doable. You could say that fishing in Malaysia is once in the lifetime experience. It is not and that is how we come to my crisis.
Our trip to Malysia was first real holiday after 2009. And I can't give up about thought to going back. So my fifties crisis has started even I won't be fifty until year from now. I want to celebrate my half century in Malaysia, fishing. I have plan about being whole May in holiday, most of the time in Malaysia. And plan would be also visit New Zealand on same trip.
It would be really happy 50 birthday to me. I hope that we are still welcomed to Malaysia, I have already started to research New Zealand more or less. My plan is clear for our holiday. It won't be cheap, yet it will be worth of every cent. I have to get money somehow.
And thing is that this idea is eating me from inside. It won't give any peace, everything reminds about last trip and it just makes me go back more. I don't know if you have had that kind of feeling ever.
It is frustrating and exiting at the same time. It is haunting you, just like that big fish which got away.
Have a nice weekend and go fishing!
Mika the Legend
