Old Boots

A Great Way to Go

Nothing like an old pair of boots. Just the thing for Father’s Day fishing with two of my three sons. To wade in the stream I choose my lightweight camo silent stalkers. They serve me well for almost twenty years now.

Inside the boots, wool socks insulate just fine from the late spring water as it starts to warm toward summer. It always seems dusty to drive up the Forest Service Road, but there is plenty of room at the gravel parking lot for Grouse Creek Falls Trailhead. I cringe for the requisite sunscreen and bug sprays, but put forth due diligence as the sun and insects are strong enough today. I remind myself where my reel ended up for the assembly of fly rods, relearn which way the line threads from the spool then through smooth eyelets on the lengthy shaft, and don various apparel to carry extra tackle and equipment. Soon enough, we are ready to search for fish.

Instead of hiking up the main trail to the falls, we walk down the quiet old road for a while, then follow a not so obvi…