Avoid the Opening Day Blues - 1st Installment
“Getting Your Feet Wet” – A feature for beginners.

Those of us unwilling to brave the winter weather to fish, and not in the income bracket to fish Belize, Patagonia, or New Zealand, have a common problem every Spring: Flabby muscles. Even during the season, our busy lives often prevent us from fishing often enough to keep in shape by the happiest means. Fatigue does more than shorten our day a-stream; it limits our ability to meet the challenges of wading, casting, walking, or even just carrying the weight of our (inevitably) hefty fishing vests. If you fish mostly on occasional destination trips, you have first-hand experience of how exhausting day after day of unaccustomed physical activity can be, and how it can blunt your pleasure.

‘Exercise’ is a dirty word in my lexicon, but I’ve discovered that even forcing myself to endure as little as two or three half-hour sessions a week works wonders for my fishing stamina and strength. It doesn’t have to be painful, sweaty, or aerobic; lazy as I am, I do low-impact Oriental exercises of the Chi Kung variety, little more than stretching and breathing. But these have had significant impact on my ability to balance while wading, scramble up banks and over rocks, and fish for hours at a time without aches and pains. Another easy exercise I can recommend involves storing a light dumb-bell near your favourite chair and using it for casting motions for a few minutes while watching television. It’s amazing what this can do to maintain those casting muscles. I’ve been delighted by the results of these two fairly painless and brief exercise regimes, every Opening Day when I’ve noticed a conspicuous lack of fatigue, muscle weakness, or pain.

I try to enforce doing my routines at least twice a week, all year round. Other ladies I know do fifteen minutes first thing in the morning on a daily basis. It all depends on your own schedule, lifestyle, and mental discipline. Some find that acquiring an ‘exercise buddy’ or joining a class helps keep them on track. It’s my observation that anything you do will be a help, when fishing season rolls around. Try it, and you’ll be glad you did!
--Rabbit Jensen--