Cicadas, Locusts, Ponds, and, Buyers Remorse!

Some unexpected family health issues has had my wife and I on the road over the past week.  The wife's father has been moved into a Kansas nursing home and is not doing very well at this time.  We have returned home to Happy Valley with him on our mind and realize that another trip back seems to be in the near future perhaps.

Anyway, just wanted to share with my readers here on my blog that, although we had other thoughts, fishing thoughts never leave your mind.  Except we did not plan on 100 degree days and stifling humidity.  That was a bit of environmental shock for us.  I guess the locals get used too it.  I would not be able to handle that at all.

Anyway, thought I would share some insight on our trip that doesn't dwell on medical issues.  First off, ran into some of these guys just outside the nursing home on the street and sidewalks.

Big ol' rotund Magicada Cicadas.  I don't know that I have ever seen anything quite like these in my travels fishing.  This picture doesn't do justice to the size of the ones I saw.  I have to admit that my fishing mind drifted to what it would be like to put ones of these on a hook, or better yet, tie a large Cicada pattern and just toss it out on my local pond and wait for the explosion from a Largemouth Bass!  I imagine that all hell would break loose.

 In addition, not as unexpected, was the evening call of the Kansas Locust.  They were everywhere you went once you ventured outside.  I commented then that if you let your mind wander that it was like hallucinating that you were surrounded by Martians from some strange far away place.

 Now, just outside the nursing home and still on the property lies a pond.  A pond that looks very fishy too me.  But, alas, I wasn't their to fish anyway and had no gear with me.  However, I did talk with a gentleman that said that he fished the pond the morning we ran into each other.  He said fishing was pretty good and that he had landed about (25) or so Largemouth Bass.  He did say that none of them were bigger fish, but, well worth his time.  Oh, and, Wooly Bugger caught.  That served to satisfy my fishing mind for the time.  Those giant Cicadas enter my thought process again.

As we headed back home from our trip to Kansas, my wife mentioned that a trip to Cabela's was in order.  Well, two points that I would like to make here.  First of never disagree with the wife and secondly, you cannot travel through Nebraska without stopping at Cabela's, can you?  I reasoned that it would be a nice break from the driving and that I could handle the stop without spending a lot of what little money Senior Citizens have.  

Wrong, again!  It could have been a lot worse, I suppose.  However, with a blink of an eye and a twitch of my wrist I was handing the clerk $200 or so.  Now, not all was more fishing gear, but, most of it fit that category.  More stuff, I just had to have.  New fly reel, line and backing loaded with a new leader, Cabela's Advanced Angler Fanny Pack, and, two new fly boxes.  

All the way home as I road the white lines of the highway, I had buyers remorse!  Why, oh why, did I let my wife talk me into shopping at Cabelas.  I could have gotten by without the new fly reel and new line, new fanny pack, and, who needs more fly boxes anyhow!

The remorse only lasted until I got home and spread my new goodies out on my tying table.  Immediately, my thoughts went to OH, BOY!