How Did He Know?

A few short weeks ago (or was it months now?), I was doing my usual daily routine of surfing the Internet to see what my fellow fly fishing bloggers had been up to. Coming across a blog that is probably on everyones list of favorites, I was happy to see a giveaway going on. You know the type, you have to accomplish some small task like commenting on the post or sharing it with your friends and you are entered to win something. Now, I never win these things, but hope springs eternal so I left a message.

Shortly after, imagine my surprise when checking back in with Windknots &Tangled Lines to discover that I had indeed won something. Howard Levett, author of the famed blog, had somehow pulled my name out of the hat, or something along those lines. Even more amazing, he had picked me to receive the Korkers Ice Cleats.

Now, we don't have to use Ice Cleats or anything similar very often around here in Tennessee, so I knew something was up when he sent them to me. Clearly he knew something that I didn't know. Fast forward just a few short weeks after they arrived, and Tennessee is bombarded with an epic ice storm. While we see some snow and an occasional thin glaze of ice, it is not every year that we get massive ice storms. In fact, I was in high school the last time we had anything close to this ice storm. This ice storm is so incredible that I can go outside and skate across my yard, and no I don't have a pond out there.

What I want to know is how in the world did Howard know that I would need ice cleats weeks or months before the big weather event? These forecasters around here were changing their forecast from rain, to snow, to sleet, to freezing rain, to snow, and so on and so forth in the days leading up to this big storm. Somehow or another it seems Howard has the inside scoop on the weather.

Really, all I'm saying is that it would be convenient to know the weather so far in advance. This small gesture of kindness by Howard kept me from breaking any limbs. Instead of skating around on the ice, I was able to move confidently on the Korkers Ice Cleats and never once slipped or felt in danger of falling. If Howard knew we would have an ice storm more than two months ago, I want to know how to get him to cough up this summer's forecast and maybe even next fall's.

Imagine how convenient that would be when planning a fishing trip. Hate rainy weather and prefer sunny days for hopper fishing? Just ask Howard when to go. Want to fish under drizzly gray skies during epic emergences of your favorite mayfly? I'm guessing Howard has a way to figure that one out also. After all, he nailed this ice storm.