Opening day of trout season only comes once per year and I can't say I am unhappy about that.

While I do enjoy fishing, most of my real enjoyment comes after opening day. The crowds of people at almost every stopping point make opening day look more like a circus than a fishing event. I suppose the last word in that sentence tells all: event. While fishing is something I like to do, I don't want it to be an event, complete with spectators and traffic at every fishing hole.

All decked out in their shiny boots and clean vests, the year's first fishermen find their way to Alleghany County much the same way pilgrims travel to religious centers like Jerusalem. We need to erect a sign, "Welcome to Alleghany, Trout Mecca of North Carolina."

After the first-day fishermen have expended most of their fishing line, corn, worms and patience, the regular local fishermen will appear. Don't get me wrong, I am not so foolish as to believe that those visiting tourist fishermen aren't important. Without them, I feel sure the local economy would suffer, stocking numbers would fall and local fishermen would have nothing to fuss about for the first two weeks of the season. But even without crowds, weather would have hampered good fishing Saturday. The day started off with a thunderstorm, so I figured it might not be the best time for a fishing trip. Indeed, the fish were scattered and hard to catch, the water was muddy and currents were moving quickly.

I didn't start fishing until the early afternoon, after the rain ended and I had a chance to work on my bees. A friend from Wilkes came up to join me in both endeavors, having added a new package of bees for me on his spring bee order.

After we had set up my new hive, we then set out to go fishing. I know more about fishing, he knows more about bees.

First we had to stop by the local sporting goods store and find him a rod and reel that he could use, along with a worm box and some other necessities.

Then we headed to one of my favorite fishing spots in the county. After bypassing several spots due to over-activity (people in droves were already fishing there), we finally found a few stretches of water we could fish.

From the start, I knew we were going to have problems. I first caught a bush over one hole and then didn't have many bites until I walked a ways up the creek. There I snagged two small stocked trout and stuffed one into my creel. The other one flipped out of my hand before losing its life for the cause of the supper table.

My friend, with his new rod and reel, found fishing difficult. The unfamiliar gear and water no doubt contributed, but my guess is that the poor fishing conditions were more likely to blame.

Soon afterwards, we went to another spot nearby that offered much deeper water, only to find the fishing less desirable. I didn't get so much as a bite in the entire time I was there.

I talked to some other friends who were out that day, all of which said they also had little luck on opening day. That gives me hope that perhaps the best fishing is yet to come. I feel sure that there must be droves of trout laying in wait to be caught.

After putting in about three hours of fishing, we headed back to town and I gave him my only true catch of the day before he parted to go home.

The day before opening day I had walked down the creek below the house, just to see if any trout were out swimming around. I didn't see a one. Here it is on Monday and more rain is falling, so I am guessing that the situation for fishing isn't going to improve until later on this week. And by the look of the forecast, which is calling for the possibility of more rain through Thursday (which is likely today for you readers), conditions may not be improved until this weekend.

One thing is for sure, I can only hope that my next weekend outing is more successful than my first. Fishing and not catching fish makes for a fine outing nonetheless. We still got to enjoy the outdoors, walking through fields and trees by way of the creek, taking in the scenery and the feel of being outdoors.

Sometimes just being outside is almost as fun as catching something for supper. Still yet, I have a lonely freezer that needs some major attention from lonely trout in need of a new home.

In fact, I have but one small bag of the frozen delicacies remaining in my kitchen right now, probably caught sometime last fall. I better get to fishing when the weather breaks. Maybe all the tourists will be gone by then.

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