This is supposed to be a site about fishing so I thought I'd start with the memory of catching my first trout.  The way I recall, it was the mid-1960s or so and I was still pretty young.  My family and I were living in Southern California and would sometimes camp in the Eastern Sierra.  I think it was at a place somewhere near June Lake and not far from Mammoth Mountain.  My memory of those times is a little foggy, mostly just a few "mental postcards" of scenes or sensations.  I do remember that my brothers and I liked to walk up to the camp store and buy little wax bottles filled with a sugary juice.  You could bite the top of the bottle off and then suck the juice out.  We would try to chew the wax but it was pretty bland stuff and would quickly lose all flavor.

I also seem to recall that some of my father's friends would join us.  One would sit around the fire with his guitar and sing Hank Williams songs.  There was another, or maybe it was the same guy, who would travel with some kind of manhole cover.  He would place it over the campfire and use it as a griddle.  Although, to be honest, I'm not sure I saw the whole griddle thing or if it is more a memory of hearing about it.

This was supposed to be about a fish but I got a bit off subject.  That, I guess, is the whole point of this site.  Fishing is fun and I do enjoy getting out on the river.  However, the really memorable stuff often has nothing to do with fish.

Oh right...the trout.  I'll save that for next time.