The best plans can fall apart, but if you don’t have a plan or a timetable, you will find that the time will slip away. Holding on to time is like trying to hold water in your hands. It slips through your fingers.
If you like outdoor activities, let me give you a sequence of events that you might want to consider. Keep in mind that these are focused on personal preferences, but you could use it as a framework for planning purposes.
April: This is a time when sportsmen in South Carolina are torn between fishing and turkey hunting. Maybe you alternate weekends. If the weather is cool, the turkeys may reach their peak activity a little later in the month, but unfortunately it will also slow the trout down, but if the water temperature is above the mid-forties, they should cooperate. Also, it is a good month for largemouth bass. Decisions, decisions, what is a man to do? It is also time to dust off the kayaks and the mountain bike if you haven’t been riding.
May: Don’t forget the full moon in May. That is prime time for bream. The big “bull” bluegills will start tearing it up again. This will be the best month for taking them from the spawning beds. Don’t worry about the ethics of taking them during spawning. They are prolific breeders and are usually over-populated in most waters. They make some good eating with some good hushpuppies and slaw. If you are not impressed with bream, try taking them on a light fly rod, 5 weight or lighter, and preferably a 3 weight rod with light leader. They are very sporting when taken on light tackle. You might be surprised at some of the small ponds and streams that hold bream. Just get out and do a little reconnoitering, and you’ll be sure to track down a sure fire bet for a fish fry. Don’t forget, May is also good for White Bass and Hybrids at night with jigs or minnows.
June: Fishing is still good, and the choice of species is huge at this time. Water sports are good since the water temperature is climbing and is comfortable for kayaking and swimming. Overnight combination camping, hiking, fishing and just general fun trips are in order. It’s time to pick up the pace with your bow practice if you plan to hunt with it in September. The same applies with the muzzleloader, rifle and handgun if they are your weapon of choice. A few rounds of skeet or trap to keep the eye sharp might also be a good idea if you expect to be able to hit a dove in September and the ducks is November.
July: Man it’s getting hot and the fishing is slowing down, but the kayaking is great fun and if you do go trout fishing, leave the waders at home and fish “wet”. Watch our for the timber rattlers in the mountains. You don’t want to spoil a good trip. It’s a good idea when you’re afield in the summer months to never place your hand or foot in a place that you can’t see. Don’t step over a log if you can’t see the ground on the other side. The snake will prefer to flee, but if you step over and step on him or startle him, he may strike reflexively. About this time, you may have planned a trip to a cooler climate out west (Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, or maybe the “big one” to Alaska).
August: This month is a “bummer”, but you should plan to get out early in the morning, late in the afternoon and be lazy at mid-day. This is a good time to reflect on the good times you’ve had all spring and look ahead to the cooler weather right around the corner. Catch up with notes in your journal and record the details that you may have left out when you hurriedly made entries during the busy spring.
You do keep a journal, don’t you? If not, you are missing an opportunity to have a valuable resource and a source of pleasure as you re-live those fun times in future months and years. Try to record the weather conditions, the lures or flies that you used. The notes about taking the big gobbler or the big buck can provide useful information for future seasons. It may also become an heirloom for your children or grandchildren.
September: The weather begins to cool and the cycle begins again as the emphasis moves from fishing and boating to hunting. For the non-hunter, the fishing may just be peaking again, so it is just a matter of personal choice.
You get the idea. There is so much to do and so little time to do it. How can we possibly do all of the things that we would like to do? Without a plan, it is easy to look back and try to remember why we didn’t do some of the fun outdoor trips. For the major trips to places like Montana, Alaska, British Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia, or other far away destinations, we begin planning a trip for the next year even before we finish the current trip. We’ve planned almost a year ahead for three weeks in Montana this summer, but we are already looking forward to next summer and planning to go to Alaska again. Planning and anticipation becomes a great part of the trips for us and we spend hours and hours discussing and deciding where to go and what to do when we get there.
Start planning ahead more and you’ll find that you can pack a lot more fun into the time that you have. Have a great summer and don’t miss those opportunities.
L. Woodrow Ross
