They say life is about showing up. Well, when my alarm went off this morning at 4.30 am, I certainly didn’t feel like getting out of bed. It was dark and cold outside, and the bed felt just too comfortable and warm.

It’s a public holiday today for Columbus Day in our part of the country. My plan was to fly fish.

After much mental debate, I did get up, pack my gear, and drive to a local river. My expectations were pretty low. The last time I fished this particular river, I worked hard all day and landed just one fish. Another angler with whom I chatted didn’t catch anything all day.

So, as I started to wade into the mist-covered river this morning, I mentally resolved to be happy if I didn’t catch anything. Just enjoy the time to be outside. Be grateful for the hall pass my wife gave me. It was a very beautiful autumn morning, as the sun started to rise, the tree leaves ablaze in orange, pink and brown colors.

I was feeling pretty good.

Then, I caught a nice rainbow trout on my third cast. “There,” I said to myself. “You’ve caught a fish. Now, everything else is upside.”

Well, today, I ended up catching 37 rainbow and brown trout. It’s an all-time record for me. I did catch 15 fish in a day many years ago and that was a blast. Today, I hooked probably closer to 45 or so (I lost count), but I did land into my net and safely release 37.

What a day. I couldn’t believe my good fortune. An epic day which I will remember the rest of my life. And, here’s the weird thing: I didn’t see anyone else catch anything.

I’m glad I showed up at the river.