David Siskind | Sunday, 8 February 2026
There was a huge drop of Epstein Files a week ago causing a hubbub, world-wide. I bring it up here because I think it shines a light on how policy is made that ultimately affects our fishing. Mostly, As it turns out, there is, indeed, a cabal of privileged elites who live in a world of mutual back-scratching - a universe of favor-trading, outside and floating above the rules and norms governing the rest of us. It seems that money, influence, and fame can buy freedom from the normal limits on imagination and civil behavior. Without the constraints of limited resources, desires run wild. No one and nothing checks behaviors. There is no accountability for harms visited on regular folks. It becomes reasonable to expect to buy or network one’s way through life. I’m amazed at the variety of characters who get caught up in this world, often, apparently, people who are well aware, but forget that all of this ease and license is granted by the exploitation and immiseration of others. It’s gross. And maybe inevitable as things are currently set up. I imagine if you inherit, cheat, luck-into, or even earn enough money or influence to enter this world, you quite naturally start to spend and trade your way to a more graceful life and unless possessed of unusual strength of character, will conveniently forget how difficult things are for most people. It’s natural. It’s easy. And in the end many of the people-who-should-know-better turned their most compassionate selves toward Mr. Epstein, apparently in return for past favors, offered sympathy and advice toward his social rehabilitation after his conviction. Nice impulses but corrupt. Fuck ‘em all. They know better and lie about it when exposed.
I saw “Good Fortune” a couple of months ago. At the end Seth Rogan lectures his company’s board “The reason we have it so good is that many people have it very bad ... and (one day) they’re gonna burn down your sauna and shit in your cold plunge.” It all reminded me of French economist Thomas Picketty’s book, “Capital in the Twenty First Century,” which was a best seller in 2013, but a tough read. I opened it but only got 100 pages in. I did once meet someone, a meteorologist at a solar conference, who had read it all the way through, and maybe my brother-in-law did too, but I think most bought it and read the intro. Picketty wrote a more digestible treatment last year, “Equality” - just bought it - hope I get through this one. He had a simple formula that arose from an analysis of data from the 19th century on, showing that barring war or revolution, that wealth naturally concentrates. And that all we can do in this world is to adopt policies to limit it. We are living in a second gilded age in the US. I’m afraid the fruits for most will be bitter. How does it affect fishing? I think in obvious ways. The demands of the elites are satisfied for their benefit. Public access to places to fish is restricted, river beds claimed privately. Environmental regulations are rolled back or their enforcement ignored. Corollary harms result from short sighted arrogance. Climate change stresses habitat and drives desperate behaviors eliminating sustainable fisheries. It all sucks. I thank goodness for the art of fly-casting. It doesn’t need fish or even water to be an absorbing and rewarding practice. But they certainly give it purpose.
This week’s spey practice has been especially rewarding. I’m still having trouble accurately placing anchors, especially when dealing with longer lengths of line but I’m improving. And I started paying more attention to my D-loops, watching them form in response to various accelerating up-sweeps of the rod. I’m visualizing a filled spinnaker, feeling the tension in the line as wind in my sail. It’s getting better all the time. Spillover effects include improved distance practice and sexier loops. I’m 15:1 practicing grass:water. Need to bring it to the river again. Maybe tomorrow. Early.
Respect to Rickard dealing with tricep pain. I’m hoping his cures take. I too have an activated muscle that won’t relax. On my way to Malaysia, I did something to my left elbow on the 16 hour flight leg from LA to Hong Kong. I’ve felt pinky tingling and bicep tension for more than a month now. Apparently typical of a compressed ulnar nerve not uncommon during long flights. There are some “nerve glide” exercises I’m trying out, but am becoming impatient. I’m off to the Bahamas in a couple of weeks to chase bonefish on foot. There’s a lot of walking. My knee and calf injury seem to be healing up nicely - fingers are crossed. Also I was a little concerned about how the Danish outfitter and European clients in our group would be disposed toward an American. They were fine last year but then the Greenland threats and debacle at Davos. Recent communications though have shown these Danes to be a mannered and forgiving lot. I’m glad.
Cheers,
David Siskind