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Field Ethos
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By Vincent Bini
For as long as I can remember I have gravitated to the comfort of the outdoors. Sometimes just a good visual is all that is needed. I found myself in a deep trance on more than a few occasions. Staring out the window. Whilst my teacher was rambling on about something I had no desire to hear. Even though it was but a brief moment of relief, it was no doubt relief. From what? I wish I had that answer.
I used to think it was just an escape from stressful situations, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. On more than one occasion I decided to flee to the water during what most people would call fun. Probably the best example of this would be a few years out of high school.
My buddy and I were at a pretty kickass party, by anyone’s standards. Good drinks, music, girls and friends. I was having an absolute blast. However, there was something off and I couldn’t figure it out. Out of nowhere I went to find my buddy and informed him that I wanted to head down to the Keys so we could be there at sunup. Without hesitation he was in. So, while he continued to party, I ran back to the house and threw all our gear in the boat, hooked it up to my truck and headed back to the party to pick my buddy up.
Bonefish at Dawn
Well, when I went back in, one of the prettiest girls at the party pulled me aside and began to interrogate me. “Where did you go? I have been looking for you.” I was a little taken back but proceeded to tell her our master plan. Next thing I know, I was practically dragged into an empty room for further interrogation. I was in a hell of a pickle. I was in a position that most of the guys at the party would have killed to be in and all my dumb ass could think of was bonefish at dawn. So, I did the unthinkable and managed to extract myself from the situation before things got out of hand. Then I bolted out of there, grabbing my buddy on the way out the door.
On our way to the Keys my buddy asked me what happened and then we shot the shit about the party. Halfway through the ride my buddy passed out. Not because he was drunk. No. Because that’s just what he did. Didn’t matter how long or short the trip was. He would just sleep. That was fine with me. I actually like driving in silence. It helps me collect my thoughts, and at that particular moment, my thoughts were on bonefish.
Nothing like driving through the night to fish the sunrise. That’s exactly what we did. We were going to fish the southern end of the Seven Mile Bridge. As I made my way across, I could see the sun starting to breach the horizon. The windows down forced the fresh salt air into my face and gave me a jolt of adrenaline that no amount of coffee could accomplish.
I felt a bit of remorse for hauling ass from the party and the girl. I replayed the moment I was cornered and questioned. It felt like a movie. My back against the wall with her hands on my shoulders. She was gorgeous. What was I thinking? Would I get a second chance? Did I want a second chance? These thoughts bounced around my head all the way up until the moment we pushed off that dock and pointed the bow of the skiff west.
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