“Cross the creek”
“Cross the Creek” by Alan Weihausen.
Fish Creek! Just the name alone spells good fortune and high excitement for someone as crazy fish-driven as I am.
Every summer I get lost in the mountains. With a 9’ fly rod, a small selection of flies and maybe a few nymphs, I find myself in the good company of deafening silence interrupted by the churn and gurgle of a mountain stream.
The area I like to fish is called “The River of No Return” and that name is very appropriate because I don’t want to leave. Cutthroats, Rainbows, Bull Trout, and Brookies create a yearly tradition for us. Over the almost 15 years of terrorizing countless trout, there will always be one fish that stands out.
One creek…one fish…one perfect moment. The morning held promise. The creek held the reputation of big rainbows and cutthroat. As I watched my fly float and dance down the stream, my heart jumped when the fly disappeared ever so quietly below the surface. The tiny hook sank into the hungry trout’s mouth, and the fight was on. Rod bent…tight lines. The fight lasted a little while before I felt slack…and then I felt sick. The fish was big (like most that got away) but for real…big. The world was quiet again…only the churn and gurgle…like it never even happened. I tried and tried but could not coax another fish out of that hole.
Around the bend, beaten but not defeated, I found myself praying. I stopped on the bank and simply sat down. I prayed with a happy heart because I was in one of the most beautiful places my eyes have ever seen. I prayed for blessings and protection for my family. I thanked God for letting me be married to my best friend. I prayed for my children’s futures and for the hearts of the ones they will share them with. Finally I prayed not for a big fish…I already LOST that one, but I prayed that if I hook another fish, please God help me land it to get a picture. Then I cast my fly…it was immediate. The battle was every bit as strong as the one I lost earlier that morning, but this time, the victory was mine. Many people have seen my pic…a 19” fat cutthroat, and thought it was a trophy…and a prayer answered. If you stop at the fish, you miss the point.
Sometimes God laughs with us and throws in a little something extra because he is enjoying the moment too. The true trophy is in the picture. The true trophy is the tattoo God put on my neck minutes after a Joyful…Prayerful…Thankful moment.
In this high-speed, non-stop thrill ride through the highs and lows of life please remember God is with us through the tough times…But He also wants to be there in the triumphs. A cross of light created by a perfect moment of sun refracted through a glass lens on my glasses…blah blah blah…I know some will call it coincidence but I believe “coincidence” is just a word people use to take God out of the moment.
Life ain’t ever about the money…it’s about the stories you can tell!
Much Love & Many Blessings,
Alan Weihausen (alan_oso@yahoo.com)
1 Thess 5: 16-18 (Joyful…Prayerful…Thankful)