Physical Therapy

About a month ago I finally went fishing.

No, that's not right. It was last Saturday.

I've had this sharp pain in my shoulder for the past week. I awoke with it one morning and it's been there ever since. I attribute it to sleeping wrong. It could also be due to the fact that my shoulders seem to be curled up around my ears. Stress does twist the body.

On Saturday I stood in cold, moving water for a few hours. It was surprising how quickly the pain in my shoulder disappeared. I didn't notice its departure, but when I got out to warm my toes and stretch, I found that I could put my arm above my shoulder without the deep, stabbing pain. Perhaps it's coincidence but I'm crediting the healing power of fly angling.

The fishing was about what you'd expect in the dead of winter when there's no hatch and the water temp is just bit north of freezing. Only one bump and that one came to the net. It was a nice sized Brown though it was getting thin. I almost felt guilty tricking it with a pink egg. Almost.

I hadn't fished this spot in a long time. It's a popular pool that gets a lot of attention during dry fly season but is empty when there are no bugs in the air. When I do fish this stretch I usually fish it from the east bank but a tip put me on the west bank at the head of the pool. I'm not sure if one fish proves the tip was valid or perhaps fates smiled upon me. Either way, I got one and was satisfied.

Later I watched my youngest test for Junior Black Belt in Kung Fu. It's the first time I've had the opportunity to see him test in a small group. Usually it's a cattle call for the lower belts but Black Belt they take seriously and so he was up there with two other kids.

He did fine in the test and was awarded the belt. Like most parents, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Every error or forgotten move, I felt the angst four-fold. I think it may have actually been more stressful to watch the test than take it. By the end my shoulders were back up in "work" position.

It's Tuesday evening and the twitches are returning. The weekend is down the road a bit as are the angling possibilities. More snow is on the way. I'll have to find some other form of therapy to get me through to my next session.