A Constant State of Suspicious Alertness

The above title is in reference to an obscure line from the movie Jarhead that does a great job of describing my fishing agenda. My career has taken a front seat to my fishing habits and this year I am almost ashamed of my lack of productivity. I have instead used my time to be fully prepared for the second half of the season.

…so you will hydrate, you will train, you will adjust to this desert, and you’ll hydrate some more, and you will be ready, you will maintain a constant state of suspicious alertness, and one day soon…

Lt. Colonel Kazinski-Jarhead

I had an epiphany not too long ago, I needed a backup supply of flies, something that wasn’t mobile but could house a treasure chest of random goodness.

I introduce you to an anodized aluminum external fixator graphic case. These are used to house medical instruments and occasionally they become “obsolete” and are thrown away. I saved this one and have converted it into a fly storage case. Trout’s down the street was kind enough to donate the hockey pucks so I could organize a little and all I had to do was fill them up. With two levels of storage it has taken me a few weeks but I think I have anything I might need in this case, and it is a permanent fixture in my car.

I have taken the words from Lt. Colonel Kazinski to heart and prepared for my triumphant return to the river. I’m not sure when it is going to happen or how long I will have when I get there, but I will have enough flies that I will at least scare a few fish into the net.

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