Fishing alone sometimes offers opportunities that don't present themselves while you're fishing with your friends. Now don't get me wrong, fishing is definitely better when shared with a friend, but sometimes silence is golden. Yesterday I fished with one of my friends and today I fished alone. Every now and then we need some quiet, quality time to ourselves to reflect. Let me explain why fishing alone today, is a prime example of a golden moment. Envision this, if you will, and you'll get a better understanding that is presenting itself to me today. I decided to go fishing on a smaller lake that didn't allow me to bring my boat; therefore, I rented a John boat with oars and no trolling motor. I start rowing around the lake and eventually I come to what I'd call a perfect spot, and I anchored. Here, I find a nice lay down of trees, the perfect spot for catfish.

I rig up my two rods: one with a simple slip bobber and a snell bait holder hook and the other with a liver/bait hook. I'm here only for catfish and my choice of bait is: frozen chicken livers, cut-up hot dogs, and fresh shrimp. I prepare my rigs, cast out and now I sit back and patiently wait. As I'm sitting here, I decide to listen to some calm and soothing music on my ipod so that I can relax and commune with nature. My music puts me into a deeper relaxing state of mind, which is something you can't reach when you're surrounded by people. As I'm relaxing, I start to think about the chores back home and errands that I should be tending to; then I come to the realization that I owe this moment to myself. The guilt that I felt now fades away as the gentle breeze relaxes me. I now take notice of my surroundings and appreciate the beauty that Mother Nature has presented to me today. Nature seems to encourage me to pause and reflect and this isn't very difficult to do while you're sitting in a boat alone.

Yes, today is a beautiful day; the air temperature is comfortable, overcast skies that allow the sun to peak through every now and then and the tranquility of the lake is very serene. Today is a calm day with a gentle breeze that softly sweeps across my face and rustles through the trees. As I sit here by myself I do not feel lonely because I have the sounds of nature all around me. Every now and then I hear a fish jumping and it catches my attention. The birds are singing in harmony and I take notice of their flight. The bull frogs are croaking and I can hear the chirping of the tree toads. These silent moments without distractions allow me to enjoy the beauty of the lake. As I'm watching a dragon fly, I look over at my bobber and notice a fish is taking out my line and with much anticipation and excitement, I'm now landing my first catfish for the day. While I'm putting my catfish on the stringer I start thinking of a Lake-Linker friend of mine, Mrs. Perch, who loves to fish for catfish. Oh, how I wish she lived closer to me and we could get out and fish together.

Today was a perfect day and because I was in the boat by myself, I was able to fully appreciate the sounds and beauty that Mother Nature presented. I never once felt alone; sometimes one is not the loneliest number. Some people go fishing for the action and others go for the relaxation; choose yours wisely and enjoy every moment, as tomorrow is promised to no one.