Early mornings on the East Gallatin are a unique experience to behold. This nostalgic small stream always has something special around every bend, shelf, and twig that always stirs curiosity with each step. From many springs, and cold-water creeks which run into it, this ecosystem fares well with aquatic bio-mass for healthy fish. The cool crisp waters(58°F) propagates an insect hatch that buzzes the surface of the rippling river, waking up life of the stream for breakfast. Flocks of swallows dive along the water, collecting insects both on and above the water surface. Not long after, the ripples of rising trout appear. Excitement and the wonderful feeling of a humble spirit fills the soul, which almost brings a tear to my eye. A whitetail deer fords the stream just ahead of me, not even knowing I was there. Being one with the stream, nature approves of my presence without interference.
A light feather-weight cast to a rising trout with a fly the size of a small ant is a profound fundamental activity in which I adore. It demonstrates one of natures intriquet acts of beauty. Many feeding trout carefully feeding on very small insects makes a smooth flat into a bubbling scene of magnificence. Many takes and many misses provides both exciting and technical experiences which only makes a better angler in time.
As the hours grew closer to early afternoon, the bite slows down and its time to head back to the truck. As I retraced my steps back to the final bend, I come across something indeed peculiar. I see some furry object hanging from an overhead branch. What I came across was a poor little bat stuck on a fly fisherman's fly in which the bat thought was food. Some foolish fisherman had caught their dry fly leader onto a strong shrub in their back-cast, then just broke their line and moved on. Both line and fly easily recoverable left for natures consequence. During time, the fly blew in the wind, dancing up and down mimicking a real insect. Even other animals besides trout found this bug enticing, like a bat for instance. This bat is lucky for me to arrive, as a beautiful animal such as any doesn't deserve to suffer, not while I'm around.
I find a long stick to help lower the small mammal onto a lower branch, then get in as close as I could and cut the line. The bat lie still on the branch, exhausted from hanging from its face for too long. I let the small critter rest as this is all I can do for it. Rabies is not something to take lightly, even in positive attribution. This is an example of one of those graceful, unexpected phenomenons along the EG that I will always conserve in my heart, as they're special indeed……. Sky Pilago Joyner. A lesson on respecting nature, In which it will give you in return equal or greater respect and to never leave fishing line out in nature if YOU CAN retrieve it, or else nature pays the price for it……….
