Good Blood Pumping Fun

Jim Dickens June 2026

Good Blood Pumping Fun

Before I turned thirty, I had caught passes over the middle, jumped off cliffs, skydived and bungee jumped.  An Australian I met back then, described diving with great white sharks attacking the meat attached to the cage as good blood pumping fun.  It was a great way to describe the pleasure of thrill seeking.

However, marriage, children and insurance costs caused me to lower my risk profile.  Now old, it’s great just to wake up with no life threatening illnesses and low arthritic pain. I have no compunction for thrill seeking.  Well not by choice, I again experienced fright induced adrenaline not once but three times this June.  

I fly fished a good deal in June as it’s a good month for it.   I road tripped to the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania and fished with my good buddies Pete, Pete and Pat who also happen to be really good fishermen.  Pine Creek is excellent at this time and we caught lots.  At one point, I forded across to access a promising spot.  Because that fording is difficult others don’t fish there.  I sat down on a rock and tied on new flies.  When I stood up I heard a buzzing right next to me.  Not fly buzzing but the buzz of an unhappy timber rattle snake rattling.  I jumped away the rattling quieted and it’s head came up right next to the rock I had been sitting on.  I let out a whoop of relief and it was some time before I calmed and could start fishing again.

Just 10 days later I was camping and fishing on the Smith, a national scenic river, with Pete, Chet and my Trout Unlimited buddies, Willie, John, Dave and Jack, another accomplished fishing crew.  I like to sleep outside of the tent on a cot so I can see the stars.  On our second night I awoke to a scratching noise right next to my head.  As the fear built, it took a moment to decide what to do which allowed my fear to continue building.  I slowly reached my hand out of my sleeping bag and touched a large bug, salmon fly.  No biting stinging or clawing occurred and I swept it and its friends off.  I moved the cot away from the tree they had fallen from and eventually after calming fell back asleep.

After leaving the Smith, Pete and I joined a true adventurer Chris to fish a secret stretch of the Gallatin River near Bozeman.  I went to cross a knee deep rapid behind Chris, slipped and fell down.  I tried to stand and realized it wasn’t going to happen.  So I went for a swim.  The icy water hit my skin as I rolled on my back in the fast water and rolled onto my stomach as it slowed started paddling to shore rod in hand as the next rapid got closer.  Pete helped me out and helped drain the gallons now filled my waders.  My left boot upper had detached from my sole so I used that excuse for the slip.  I walked the half mile back to our truck for something drier and wet wading shoes.  Once back I calmed down, reloaded and returned to the river.  The fishing was excellent but the swim is etched in my brain.

We think of fear and danger as a bad thing.  I like to think that as long as you come out whole you get good stories, a lot of learning and a thrill.  In fact it can sometimes be good blood pumping fun.