I don’t like wishing days away, but October 7-14 needed to end.

I fish just enough to make myself dependent on putting a fly on or under water to remain at least as normal as a guy like me gets.

So I started counting the hours last Monday, the 10th. I am specific with the dates here because tonight is actually Friday the 14th, and am writing the preview for the trip rather than the recap just in case I am waist deep in water as Tuesday’s deadline passes. Which since you are reading this Wednesday would be yesterday and thus past tense, but moving on...

I could have cared less that nothing really remarkable happened during those days, but

if you start to get too focused on big things, little ones can seem way more ordinary than they should.

You need those tidy little day trips to remind you what you are passionate about. It makes the big, nasty, smelly camp outs complete with four-mile hikes in waders and big trout even better. I’ve found that nothing wipes my dry erase board clean like a trip measured in days rather than hours, but without the little trips you can look back and wonder where large chunks of years went and I’m only 30.

So after a bunch of weekend jaunts into the hills it’s time to prepare to fish four straight days for the first time since August and I’m packed and ready.

But I know I forgot something.

I know the only thing I really need is the card that proves I am qualified to drive my truck, some money to put gas in said truck and a fly rod, fishing license, reel and a few flies, but since this is the last big trip of the year, I don’t want to screw it up by forgetting something.

I’d like to think I can be a minimalist but I end up filling my truck anyway for no other reason than because I can.

I’ve found the best way to prevent forgetting necessary equipment is to keep most of it in my truck indefinitely - simple things like tape, a can opener, sporks, toilet paper, rope, tooth brush and toothpaste because who wants furry teeth, and a couple good fishing books.

The expensive gear stays safe within the locked confines of my house and hopefully make it to the vehicle.

I’ve got two fly rods, two reels, three boxes of flies, vest, waders, hiking boots, tent, sleeping pad, coffee percolator, some socks and of course my fishing hat.

I have friends that would rather forget their fly box than the coffee, and have. One even forgot his rod, but remembered a book and read while we fished. It was what most might expect an English teacher would do anyway, read by the river that is.

So outside the aforementioned list, I really don’t need anything else, right?

The big question is weather. It’s going to be cold at night, but will it be cold and wet? I’ve got plenty of cotton hooded sweatshirts, but when cotton gets wet the only thing it keeps you from is being warm. I just want to be warm and dry, have all the fishing gear I need, enough comforts to relax, but not too many I think I am still at home, or soft.

So with all that said, I should be asleep, but I’m not because I am either subconsciously trying to get myself to remember a key bit of gear that’s not yet packed or just plain excited to get out on the water.

I’ll probably dream about whatever it is that hasn’t been packed, then remember the dream two hours into the drive.

I guess that’s part of fishing too.