Larry Eckart
Well-known member
Guys (and Dani),
In his book, A Fly Fisherman?s Blue Ridge, Christopher Camuto speaks eloquently of ?home waters.? In his case, ?home water? is the place he fly fishes for trout close to home. In our case on this website, ?home waters? would be the places we hunt and fish closest to home.
I now have new home waters, yet to be discovered. After 35 years, I retired last week as a full time Lutheran Pastor. This week, after two years of planning, my wife Kathy and I moved from Hilton Head, SC to Apex, NC (outside Raleigh) where she has family. We are excited about this significant change in our lives.
As I write this, it is the day after we moved. You know what that means. Box city. I?ll be lucky to find my tee shirts and shorts. A local sparrow has decided to welcome us by building a nest in our front door wreath. It?s nice to watch but we scare the mother every time we walk by.
I have no idea what will be my home waters but I will enjoy the discovery process. Furthermore, I look forward to introducing myself to the trout of the Blue Ridge and the sea trout of the Pamlico Sound area. Both those places are 2 ? to 3 hours distant. Oh, and I?ve heard a rumor that there are fish in the coastal surf, especially in September. I plan to get reacquainted with camping, campgrounds and staring into a fire.
Squirrel hunting. I plan to take up again a sport I loved as a young man. It involves many of the aspects of deer hunting without the pressure.
Duck hunting. I will have to go through the learning curve all duck hunters must go through when learning new waters. I perceive a distinct tension between the duck hunters who are native to coastal North Carolina and the many newbies who have moved in, following the growing job markets in the Raleigh and Charlotte metro areas. I understand the protective nature of those who have grown up hunting their home waters.
So I plan to use my Old Town 119 and my Mad River Duck Hunter canoes to explore the back waters and stay away from the fray. Hopefully.
I have read articles where it can be an ugly confrontation between native men and transplants driving in from Raleigh with their identifying vehicle: a pretty Tahoe. One incident two years ago involved a man who felt the local waters were ?his waters? and confronted two other hunters with his gun. After the man stormed away he eventually regretted his action: the man he accosted was an officer!
I want none of that. At least I don?t drive a Tahoe.
Having spent the last nine years in Hilton Head, I shall enjoy my time in the fresh water marsh, no mater what.
And to prime the pump, in the first week of October I will take a road trip with old friends to northern Ontario for both ducks and grouse. I can smell the balsam fir from here!
And if my home water holds only panfish and bass and wood ducks, I will be a happy man.
You might guess that you will be hearing more from me in the months to come. You would be right.
I was blessed and am blessed to have many choices. Including the choice of the company I keep on this website.
Larry
In his book, A Fly Fisherman?s Blue Ridge, Christopher Camuto speaks eloquently of ?home waters.? In his case, ?home water? is the place he fly fishes for trout close to home. In our case on this website, ?home waters? would be the places we hunt and fish closest to home.
I now have new home waters, yet to be discovered. After 35 years, I retired last week as a full time Lutheran Pastor. This week, after two years of planning, my wife Kathy and I moved from Hilton Head, SC to Apex, NC (outside Raleigh) where she has family. We are excited about this significant change in our lives.
As I write this, it is the day after we moved. You know what that means. Box city. I?ll be lucky to find my tee shirts and shorts. A local sparrow has decided to welcome us by building a nest in our front door wreath. It?s nice to watch but we scare the mother every time we walk by.
I have no idea what will be my home waters but I will enjoy the discovery process. Furthermore, I look forward to introducing myself to the trout of the Blue Ridge and the sea trout of the Pamlico Sound area. Both those places are 2 ? to 3 hours distant. Oh, and I?ve heard a rumor that there are fish in the coastal surf, especially in September. I plan to get reacquainted with camping, campgrounds and staring into a fire.
Squirrel hunting. I plan to take up again a sport I loved as a young man. It involves many of the aspects of deer hunting without the pressure.
Duck hunting. I will have to go through the learning curve all duck hunters must go through when learning new waters. I perceive a distinct tension between the duck hunters who are native to coastal North Carolina and the many newbies who have moved in, following the growing job markets in the Raleigh and Charlotte metro areas. I understand the protective nature of those who have grown up hunting their home waters.
So I plan to use my Old Town 119 and my Mad River Duck Hunter canoes to explore the back waters and stay away from the fray. Hopefully.
I have read articles where it can be an ugly confrontation between native men and transplants driving in from Raleigh with their identifying vehicle: a pretty Tahoe. One incident two years ago involved a man who felt the local waters were ?his waters? and confronted two other hunters with his gun. After the man stormed away he eventually regretted his action: the man he accosted was an officer!
I want none of that. At least I don?t drive a Tahoe.
Having spent the last nine years in Hilton Head, I shall enjoy my time in the fresh water marsh, no mater what.
And to prime the pump, in the first week of October I will take a road trip with old friends to northern Ontario for both ducks and grouse. I can smell the balsam fir from here!
And if my home water holds only panfish and bass and wood ducks, I will be a happy man.
You might guess that you will be hearing more from me in the months to come. You would be right.
I was blessed and am blessed to have many choices. Including the choice of the company I keep on this website.
Larry