Shindig (shin'dig') n. Slang. A festive party or celebration [Prob alteration of SHINDY]
It is definitely the Shindigs that do it for me...I get giddy knowing there is a Shindig in my near future...like the one that is 210 days away from today!
Not necessarily a phenomenon, not necessarily a party, not just an ole' get together...a Shindig. A shindig has a theme, a shindig can go for days or weeks, a shindig has people reporting on how the shindig is going while the shindig is going on. People get sucked in to the Shindig even though they have never met a person that may be there. A Shindig is a force in the universe, unexplained by science to this day.
And man have I had a chance to go to some great ones!
It was not so long ago...well maybe like 8 years ago that I decided to pick up a flyrod. See, I was going up to New Hapmshire a couple times a year to visit the in-laws in the White Mountains. After about 5 years of doing this and realizing I could only watch so much tv during the day, I headed to the K-mart and bought a 6 weight flyrod combo.
The image I want you to have next is one of a svelte man in glistening water up to his waist, posing in the shadow of Mt. Chocorua, effortless loops of flyline and tippet whisperly shooting through the guides of the rod, rolling in the sunlight behind him, delicately tossing a small caddis fly to rising trout in a moving seam of water quietly running under the little bridge at Chocorua Lake...a Loon's call echoes in the distance...ahhhhhhhh.
Please put that image in your head...
Close your eyes....
Take a couple of deep breaths...
Relax...
Ahhhhhhhhh.......
Now here is the reality...
Imagine a 6'4" 300 pound gorilla standing out in the water thrashing about with every move trying to throw a treble hook lined SUV tire back and forth over his head tethered to the end of a stick and a rope while ducking every flip of the treble hook lined SUV tire to prevent getting tossed under the bridge from the centrifugal force of the rope and tire now wrapped around the gorillas arm and knee...while dropping his cell phone in the water. The echoes of a cursing gorilla all around.
Imagine that 'cause THAT is the image of reality!
My first wade into the sport of fly fishing will stay etched in my mind...and probably yours now as well...but this step led to me getting to know the guys from Clearwater Fly Shop in North Conway, New Hampshire.
I was desperate to get some lessons so I stopped in this little shop and met this guy. This guy was in the middle of the shop whipping up flies so small it looked like they were invisible to me.
He introduced himself as Shahab...and I said Sha What?
Shahab. (now my mind is in panic mode...this little dude in front of me is cussing at me in some foreigh language)
Excuse me...did you say your name was Shahab?
Yep, Shahab Farzanegan....dude...just call me Fisha.
Alright Fisha! I can pronounce Fisha!
Well this chance meeting led to a full day on the coast of Maine fishing for Stripers and getting casting lessons from probably one of the best fly casters on the face of this earth...Fisha...Shahab Farzanegan. It was also the start of a friendship that opened up new experiences...shindigs!
The little flyshop in North Conway had this fly fishing forum that I joined when I returned back to Florida. I signed up...let everyone know I was a new guy and this person with the screen name of Flygal said something about my girth...
Only thing in my head was who's this chick on a fly fishing forum? There are girls in Fly Fishing? This sport gets more interesting by the day.
Well...this little online community has grown to hundreds of people that all share one thing in common and that is the love of Fly Fishing and the outdoors. Each and every one of us has this common bond, no matter what background we have, what color we are, religion, state, country...it does not mattter...our gossamer thread is the sport of Fly Fishing.
We have flyshop owners, plumbers, lanscapers, kids, Maine-ahs, Southern boys, Portland Boatyard Union Pipefitters, telecom salespeople, linemen, maintenance people, artists, writers, chefs, stay at home dads, military members, teachers, conservationists, liberals, conservatives, libertarians, hippies, elelctricians, engineers, doctors, college kids, lawyers, skiers, ice-fishers, moose hunters, moose protectors, race car drivers, shop owners, academes, Swedish kids, retirees, candy distributors, lawn care applicators, home made beer makers, home made beer drinkers...breathe man breathe!
A cornucopia of backgrounds...all about ready to meet at a Shindig! Our first was along the banks of the Saco River in North Conway. We now have something to put on our calendars to get us through the rat race...something to really look forward to.
Months of preparation by all, Shindig Countdowns, who's bringing what food, who has pontoon boats, "Dude, you have a drift boat!", bring this fly, tie that fly, what the heck is that fly...what is a sculpin?, Bill is bringing a new brew, months of prep and anticipation for this event.
The excitement builds...and we haven't even met each other yet. Funny these Shindigs and this Fly fishing thing...
I remember my wife on numerous occasions asking me how I could just show up in the middle of New Hampshire with a bunch of people I have never met and hang out for days at a time. It's that force of nature thing I guess. We all share a common bond in Fly fishing...and I've never met a person that likes to fly fish that we couldn't hang together fly fishing and fellowshipping for a few days.
It is from these Shindigs that some of the ideas, energy, and courage came to try this Sweet Life Sauce Company thing. It was at these Shindigs I could try new recipes on large groups of people without even knowing I was doing it. It was from these events that I received some of the first support to try something different and bold and create some BBQ Sauces that people would actually buy.
Man...I sit here with a humble heart and say thanks to all my friends in the Clearwater Fly Shop community.
Shindig (shin'dig') n. Slang. A festive party or celebration [Prob alteration of SHINDY]...I'll have to agree with ole' Webster himself...Shindigs are truly a celebration.
I also know that it's time for an official Saltwater Shindig Countdown to get us through the winter! 210 days and counting! I'm bringing the sauce!
All is well in the land.
