Signs of Spring

In my ripe age of early 30-something, I have learned that signs of spring come in many forms. This year in particular, I learned a new sign of spring. It's when the lady of the house marks the exterior doors with a sign of spring...

Aren't they pretty? I love the contrasting piles of snow next to the spring, floral wreathes.

Another sign of spring I am all too familiar with is the Michigan Fly Fishing Club's Expo in Warren, Michigan. What an event. Each year there seems to be more product squeezed into an already large venue. Simply put, it is overwhelming.

My favorite item is the free decal from The Northern Angler, in Traverse City. 

Great Store. Even beter decal!

Missing from the picture of my loot is the Mystic Tremor 8 WT fly rod I ordered from the Au Sable Angler shop in Mio, Mi. It will be dropped off this week. Let's just say I am excited to wet a line.

Also missing from the pic are the Buff sun gloves and bandanas I purchased. I hate sunscreen. When your better half works at a dermatology office, you don't get much sympathy for painful sunburns. I figured it was time to start covering my hands and face.

I am looking forward to trying out those foam body cutters I bought. I learned of their use in Kevin Feenstra and Jon Ray's video "Big Appetite Small Mouth" DVD. The popper in the video was cut using a body cutter. The MFFC show was the first place I saw these sold since I've been looking for them. So of course I had to buy four styles!

I am looking forward to fishing the Manistee River this year. I have been reading through the Angler Guide to the Manistee River from the Challenge Chapter of Trout Unlimited. It looks like some of the water below the CCC bridge isn't too far from Higgins Lake, home base when I am Up North.

In addition to the show, my dad and I went to check out the big lake this week. Here is what we saw at the mouth of the Clinton River...

Yes, there is a little bit of open water, right by that break wall.

Looking north from the access site. It's going to be a while before this all melts.

A little more depressing sight. Ice, as far as the eye can see, looking southeast. Detroit is somewhere out there to the right (not visible in this image).

Tuesday, March 11th. It smells great outside. Ears are flooded with the sound of birds and snow melting (water flowing into the storm sewers). 

I will not let this trick me for one minute, though. As we were walking the shoreline, I was interrupted by an alert sound on my iPhone.

This is the source of the alert sound from Weather.com...

And so we are reminded, the groundhog was indeed correct.