Recently, a client of mine wanted to get into some fall fishing on the river, and wanted to wade. That was fine with me, but I knew the fishing was starting to slow down, and we would have to cover alot of water to get fish. I suggested we forego wading and jump in kayaks which would allow us to cover a full mile or so of river in the 4 hours we had to fish. To do the same wading would be difficult, and this time of year a little colder. Having never kayak fished before, my client was skeptical, but I simply said we’d catch more fish if we covered more river. That worked, and before you know it we were on our way.

There’s something about first settling into the kayak for the day. Everything becomes soft and calm, a welcome soothing salve for pain from hard pavement, sidewalks, floors…and world. Instinctively, my first glance is downward over the side of the kayak, which takes me back to when I was a kid hanging my head over the side of a boat gazing through the crystal clear water, letting my fascination and imagination run wild. You’re so close to the water. It’s simply a better world.

We paddled through unproductive water, portaged around a dam, and began floating and fishing. We were using micro plastic worms, a recently invented technique which requires a standard 6″ plastic worm to be cut in half, then cut lengthwise into 4 sections. This results in a sliver of the original worm which is about 1/8″ thick and 3″ long, very flexible and a terrific finesse approach. Terminal tackle consists of a #7 barrel swivel, 10″ of 4# flourocarbon leader, and a #6 circle hook. That’s it.

The presentation is absolutely natural. Cast at shore, the rig is allowed to sink slowly as it drifts, without being slowed down by a tightening line. As soon as the worm starts moving slower than the current, a thing we call drag, you reel in and cast out again. If a fish takes it, the line simply stops flowing with the current. There is no need to quickly “set the hook” with the circle hook. Simply freeze the rod and start reeling quickly and the circle hook will do the rest. This simply adds to the relaxed setting and relaxed method of kayak fishing in rivers.

We caught fish, sure, but that wasn’t the highlight. We also hit the fall colors spot on. After the business of helping my client with rigging, technique, presentation, etc. I settled down and let him fish. I knew he wanted some quiet, so I shut up and stole some time for myself.

The afternoon breeze and sun gave way to calm, cool shadows that stretched across the river interrupted by slivers of sunlight threading through and splashing off the trees on the far bank. Reds, oranges, and yellows almost bright enough to make you squint. Surely the pupils of my eyes were working double time as I looked at the shaded side of the river then back at the blazing color on the other side. It struck me that just by turning my head I could choose which side to look at – the darker side of the river; somewhat of a downer, or the sunny side; bright and cheery. Hmmm… just by choosing.

The flat, calm parts of the river were reflecting pools suspending our kayaks on a horizontal artist’s canvas. While I looked into the water, I envisioned him blending red and yellow to make the orange, blue and yellow to make the green, using his knife to mix white and black and cut in the grayscales to make the tree trunks and branches, and so on. I thought about when I was a kid and would rake up all the colors of leaves in a pile, look at them a while, then fall into them and lay on my back and look at the sky letting the pungent sweet smell of leaves soak through my nostrils and into my soul while the leaves around my head and face made the world go quiet.

I want fall to stop. Stop right in its tracks, right now. Just give me a month or so to go back and forth from responsibilities to the river again and again until I’ve had my fill. Until I have breathed deep enough, drank deeply enough, seen enough.

Our kayaks drifted aimlessly downriver while I directed my client as quietly as possible to cast to fish holding spots. While I always start out gung-ho, thinking I have to put everything into it to get my clients on fish, I almost always end up in a smooth groove with a determined inspiration and knowledge that seems to come from nowhere. I take no credit for it, I know it’s a simply a gift from those I have fished with, fish with now, those long before me that I have had the opportunity to listen to, read their writings, etc.

We had to keep a pace up to make it to the take out by dark, so we passed up some great cover to get to fantastic cover. As luck would have it, we dilly-dallied too long on the upper stretches of the river, and couldn’t fish the fantastic cover as thoroughly as we had planned. Darkness was chasing us as we paddled for the take out. As we paddled along, I thought of the people I had the pleasure of fishing with along that stretch of the river, those I never got a chance to fish with, and those I hope to fish with someday. Though the river somehow keeps us connected in that way, many have gone on to places that will perhaps never allow us to fish together again. I’m supposed to understand that’s life. Okay.

We negotiated one more set of rapids, shot across a small pond, and took the kayaks out not far from where our car was parked. With the kayaks all loaded up and tied down, client happy and on his way, I decided against the traditional beer on the tailgate. I was buzzing pretty good already and feeling way too reflective from floating on a really cool piece of plastic down a liquid conveyor of mixed memories from the past, and positive thoughts for the future. I was mindful of earlier in the day, looking back and forth at the shadowed…then sunny side of the river.