David Siskind | Sunday, 24 May 2026
Concern over the tip of my left pinky, tingling since my December 31 visit to Malaysia, has gradually escalated with time. It feels a lot like a funny-bone excitation but has persisted for nearly 5 months. It began when I arrived in Hong Kong after the 16 hour flight leg from Los Angeles. Ulnar nerve compression is a frequent enough byproduct of long, red-eye flights. It’s not because I’m old. Resting the cubital tunnel on an armrest whilst ye sleeps is bad. Once squoze it’s tough to get the toothpaste back in the tube. The most alarming result is some muscle wasting in the hand. As the nerve jangles non-stop, it blocks signals that keep the muscle web between the thumb and forefinger activated and toned. Muscle disappears and in some cases is replaced by fatty tissue and thus may not be rebuildable. Yikes. My advice to everyone - be careful with this stuff. It’s an injury without obvious trauma but is subversive for sure. Move around on long flights. Go light on the sedatives and gummies.
I’ve been getting some PT in LA to no avail and, due to our worsening health care system, could not get an appointment for the necessary further diagnosis, x-rays, sonograms, and nerve conduction tests, until late July. Given the wasting this seemed imprudent, so I pulled a rabbit out of my hat and used my stellar connections in NY to get a diagnostic appointment at the Maimonides Bone and Joint Center this past Monday and now have ulnar nerve transposition surgery scheduled for June 2. It’s a relief knowing that a solution seems to be on a near horizon. Sadly, I had to postpone my second tarpon chase with Brian until the end of June and I may not be sufficiently recovered to make that date.
I do have a pre-op float/wade trouting outing scheduled Mon-Thurs this coming week in Wyoming. I’ll fish the North Platte, with my buddy Hunter and am packed and ready. I don’t love the floats much unless we can chuck some meat flies. We’ll have to see how the fish respond. I find the canyon wading more to my liking. In the meantime I’ve been enjoying vibing in NY with Jackie. We’ve been to short story readings at Symphony Space and an off Broadway play at the Atlantic Theater. Yesterday we visited the PS1 branch of Moma and saw some quirky art - some obscure, some not so much. Two nights ago we attended an AAFE (Asian Americans for Equality) gala in Tribeca. The event was attended by quite a few local pols and activist celebs (notably Attorney General Letitia James).
NY is remarkable. I may be imagining it but It seems like a cheerfully defiant place, a complex city going about its business, led by people very different from our national leadership. Most everyone I meet adores the new mayor, Mamdani. From NY, I’ve lived more than half my life in LA but NY seems increasingly like home. It’s a walking city; people happily-enough fill the streets. Immersion is natural and the public transportation system makes all destinations accessible. And I read that there are subway-stop carp flats on the Bronx River. Hummina hummina hummina.
I haven’t practiced nor fished at all this week. But I did send my LA Pal Ben Crump to a guide I’ll be fishing with after Labor Day, Parker Mauk in Westport, MA. I had my fingers crossed as I’ve never met Parker, only spoken a few times on the phone. Happily he hooked Ben and his new father-in-law up with some stripers (see Front Page photo) and a good time was had by all. Yay. I’ll make my own judgement and endorsement in September.
Pray for Peace,
David Siskind