I’m thinking about driving up to British Columbia in the morning to sneak in a little dry fly fishing. It’s crazy, but I just can’t get Neil Young out of my head.

Old man sitting
by the side of the road
With the lorries rolling by,
Blue moon sinking
from the weight of the load
And the buildings scrape the sky,
Cold wind ripping
down the alley at dawn
And the morning paper flies,
Dead man lying
by the side of the road
With the daylight in his eyes.

I don’t know why — I don’t listen to music on the river — but as I’ve grown older, my music and my fishing have grown more connected, to the point where I don’t feel quite right walking in to that little side channel on the Missouri, or road-tripping to the Henrys Fork, or driving up to Fernie to fish the Elk, unless the music has me ready for what’s about to happen.

Some folks want a perfect breakfast to start the day. Others want that perfect cup of coffee. In my case, I want music that’s going to put me in the right mood, that’s going to leave me humming, that’s going to synch with the rhythm of the river and take me to a space where I can’t help but fish with joy and passion.

So I’m going to do something a little unusual. I’m going to share tomorrow’s song list. Just the last ten, for when I’m across the border and driving through those incredibly huge British Columbia mountains. You’ll notice that things start out pretty loud and then start to mellow — which is just the way it should be, at least from my perspective. What do you think?

Alice in Chains: Rooster
AC/DC: For Those About To Rock
Focus: Hocus Pocus
Rolling Stones: Gimme Shelter
Black Crowes: Remedy
The Police: Roxanne
Led Zeppelin: Going To California
Grateful Dead: Ripple
Neil Young: Don’t Let It Bring You Down
Bob Marley: Redemption Song

And more importantly, if you were on the road tomorrow, heading out to fish, what would you have cranking in your rig?