When I go to sleep, my thoughts tend to go to a specific image; of shallow water, an active tail, a mud plume, and that feeling of simultaneous intense adrenaline and total peace right before I present the fly.

At a moment like that, there’s nothing in the world that seems to exist except you and the fish.

When I wake up from dreams about tailing carp in the shallows, I pack my bags, head into the car, and drive to one of my favorite lakes to chase these golden ghosts.