Casting the Assabet

 

Got out on the Assabet yesterday in Stow and tried out my new telescoping fishing rod for the first time.  I haven't fished in many a year for a variety of reasons...the first being that I never had much luck catching fish and, secondly, when I did catch one, it often had swallowed the hook leaving me to regret having caused the fish needless suffering.  Don't get me wrong...I have nothing against catching fish, and understand that skilled fishermen routinely catch and release fish with minimal damage to the fish. However, what I honestly enjoyed the most about fishing was the simple act of casting and reeling in my lure.    

My new telescoping rod allows having the rod and reel aboard my boat and readily at hand.  The lure I ended up using the most yesterday was a floating jitterbug...with no hooks.  My hope is to see a fish either wildly attack my jitterbug or perhaps just follow it back to my boat.  After such an encounter both the fish and I can go about our business...no harm, no foul.  Another benefit of lures without hooks will be far less snags (I hope).  

Between casts a pair of bluebirds swooped in allowing me to get a photo of one of them...

 

The eagle nest along the river stands "at the ready"...

The pair of adult eagles was seen in flight nearby.

The winds of late were finally calming down and the Assabet looked "at the ready" for the upcoming season of growth...

Trash included a baker's dozen of nip bottles...