I went out one recent morning for some therapy that only the Medina River can provide.
Facing health problems and losing loved ones can make it difficult to remain focused on just trying to find some peace of mind in my life at times. I took a rod and reel along as I have been doing lately because it gives me a chance to stop and take a break to gather my thoughts and relive those wonderful bygone days of my youth.
It's a reminder of who I am and where I came from in early life. Just keeping myself grounded, I guess.
I have to admit that my chances of catching a fish with a cane pole as a kid were pretty good back in the day. I knew every hot fishing spot along the river from The Longhorn Steakhouse to the dam and on downstream. Even today I can recall every one of them and some adventures associated with them.
Entering my teen years brought a lot of changes in my activities along the river. Swimming, tubing with friends and trying to catch the attention of the girls down at 'The Swing' or Dripping Springs soon began to outpace fishing.
I still did some camping out and all night catfishing on occasion in several places but those girls were never out of my mind for long.
Bass Fishing tournaments across Texas provided me some thrills and some disappointments as always seems to be the norm when it comes to fishing.
It would be nice to visit places like Lake Amistad in Del Rio again but the thought of leaving home to fish isn't as appealing as it once was for me. Thankfully the Medina River is a short walk or drive to do a little casting. If I catch something that is a bonus to an already good start of a day. I was often called lucky when it came to fishing but I learned early on that the more I practiced the luckier I became. I have learned that the most satisfying things in life are usually the things you have to work the hardest to get.
Most of my older friends that shared my Growing Up In Bandera years have the same feelings I have about the river around Bandera. I get that the times are changing and it's new people with new ideas making the decisions now.
The 'in the wild' adventures we had roaming freely along the banks of the river are now simply a trip to a playground. And that's okay. It just falls so short of what grandpa and grandma enjoyed back in the day.
Glenn Clark’s Growing Up in Bandera can be purchased in book form! Call 830-796-3718 or visit the Bulletin’s ofifce today!
