Not sure why,
but was having a rocking chair moment, and thinking about some of my favorite outdoor experiences, and found a theme. One of the largest, most beautiful trout, I ever caught, was a big brown, on the Blue River, near Kremmling. 'Twas early in the morning, and I saw him working a beaver pond, rising to every large bug that landed. It took a LONG time. to work my way into position, find a place to cast, and to put a fly in the right spot. He took it, and after a long fight, I landed him. At first I thought, 'All right, breakfast"! But, he was SO pretty, and the moment so right, I released him. And have been so glad, ever since. Another time, I was pheasant hunting, north of Broomfield, and saw a huge rooster, with a hen, in the ditch. I slowly drove up, and stepped out, ready to shoot. We looked at each other, and I finally got him to fly. Then I watched him fly away. Too pretty to shoot. More than once, when elk hunting, with a cow license, I scoped in on a large cow, with her calf, and decided not to shoot. Can't explain it, BUT, it is part of hunting/fishing, to just enjoy the moment. It is NOT about the kill. It is about appreciating wildlife, and the experience of being outdoors. I gotta lot of rocking chair moments, but my favorites seem to be the ones that, 'got away'.
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