Russian River

The Russian River, beautifully winding its way through wine country, really adds to the splendor & allure to the valley, but rolls by my car window quickly. I yell, “stop! at least let me get out and take a few pics,” to my brother-in-law Lee aka Calvin. He has a completely different agenda than looking at, let alone fishing the Russian River. There is wine to be tasted, shopping to be done, and above all hugging & chatting with all his dear friends at each of his favorite vineyards.

Now don’t get me wrong, aside from the shopping aspect those are wonderful ways to spend a lazy afternoon, especially when you are on a little vacation with the family—why not. Additionally I would never bore him with making him fish with me—I learned long ago to never take the unwilling or uninterested into the magnificent world of fly fishing if they are not completely committed. Besides from all I have read about the Russian River, it does not hold any trout in it. But that doesn’t mean I couldn’t fish it in the future for the species it does have?

Sorry my angling faithful as you can see I have once again baited you into my tale of tales, to find no fins at all but a pack of fishing lies to get you to hear about my Christmas vacation with the family in our favorite home away from home—Northern California’s Bay area.

It has been over a year since we have visited Lee and Geno, who live in Marin wood, about 30 minutes north of San Francisco. I had intentions of taking a rod and breaking away from the pack for one day to visit a new little hidden Nor-Cal river. But it was just not in the cards. From all the research I have done, it looks like most of the really juicy rivers of northern California are a little higher up, in the Redding area. That really poses a problem when we go to see Lee & Geno because it’s just too far for a day trip; I’m not really sure what the answer is… 

But you don’t have to be standing in a river wetting your line to have a good time; especially with the family. We decided on this trip to do those touristy things that we haven’t done in a long time. We re-visited Muir Woods, went to the Pier, walked over to China Town, hit a couple beaches and went to a museum. Oh I can’t forget what I think was the highlight of the trip for me—my first message. On New Year’s Day, we all went to Petaluma to get a full body message. I have always been reluctant to get a message, just because I don’t know if I can relax and let a complete stranger rub my body. Dear God was I wrong, as it turns out having a stranger rub you down is better, because you don’t have to whine and beg to get them to keep going. I think I have found a new tradition for New Year’s Day.

My apologies my fishing faithful for not fishing the Russian, I promise next time I am in wine country, I will “Get R’ Done!”