Back in the day, my name was synonymous with big trout. Not so much these days. My health problems began with my knees and back wearing out. I had those problems kind of behind me when cancer came a-calling.

It has been over a year dealing with cancer, and currently I have the upper hand—I believe. I have been yearning to get out on the trout stream as of late. The summer heat has stopped me at every turn.

Instead of sitting on the couch and complaining, I decided to fix my overheating problem. My cancer after-treatment medications made me feel like I was melting. It also made it easier to sunburn.

First off, I purchased thin, loose-fitting, breathable pants that didn’t cut into my surgery area to fish in. My belt buckle hurt my scar, so I bought some Velcro belt bros to tighten up my loose-fitting pants.

I switched to short sleeves for cooler fishing. My waders typically made me sweat on a cool day. Next, I tried frozen bandanas, but they were only a short-time fix.

I watched a Packers preseason game and one of the players had a neck collar that looked interesting. After a little research, I purchased frozen neck collars. They last about an hour each. They come in white, gray, and blue. One size fits all. I have more collars in an ice chest and change them out often. I purchased some PF 70 sunscreen.

I have shortened my outings and started at first light before the sun can get too hot. And I always take a fishing partner. My endurance is poor after sitting in the recliner so long. I sit and enjoy my surroundings more often and take photos. Jim was supervised by an eagle for a while. It was a grand outing.

Chasing trout made me feel alive and healthy. I wanted that feeling again. The plan came to fruition this morning. I went out this morning with a good friend. We limited our outing to three hours with a little driving mixed in. We caught trout, but they were not the goal this morning.

When the sun started to rise, there was a “Welcome Back” sign in the sky. The fog hugged me like a long-lost friend.

I had missed my streams so much.

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