A few weeks ago I wrote that blue lining was a combination of exploration, exhilaration and outright exhaustion in varying measure. The process for me starts with studying maps, looking for likely places to explore with little certainty of what might be at the end of a hike. Topo maps never tell you about the rhododendron thickets you may need to crawl through, the rocks or the rattlers you might encounter along the way. Many times there is no road or trail to get to these places. There’s a certain amount of adventure in that element alone, and those blue lines tucked between the brown contour lines are a mystery that needs to be unraveled by putting in the time to explore them. Most of the time I have no clue what a stream will look like until I’m finally standing beside it, and I’m cool with that. Sometimes the stream at the end of a long hike isn’t the wild trout heaven I’ve dreamt it might be; and tired legs, bug bites and burning eyes filled with sweat are the only story to tell. Other times I encounter something amazing, beautiful and unspoiled which makes all the difficulties it took to get there worth the extra effort. That’s what blue lining is all about….. #ItsAboutTheFish #PAWild www.ramsayflies.com
