Trip of adjustments!

[Betty Hiner]

Oh, man, the adjustments!! So I thought I'd write this up, not just as a reminder to me of what I did wrong before hitting a right, but to give ideas to others with ports or injuries or surgeries.

Think I pulled EVER muscle in my chest trying to find a cast that didn't irritate the living daylights out of the skin covering my port! Much pitiful, horrid, sloppy casting till I struck on one where I kept my arm close in, and combined with "dainty" double hauls, and forearm work, could get my casts out there a decent distance (ie: where the fish were!!).

Found, too, that whatever was worn rubbed it wrong on the cast. Fortunately VS makes kewl camis that don't irritate. (Gotta keep something feminine with all the mens' gear I wear!!)

The vests are too hot, and they rub. (Ports were not designed for the fisherman!) Fanny packs get in the way of fly lines, and nets attached to the pack will make you trip. Lanyards rub, but they're cool (er) than vests, don't get in your way, and won't cause falling. But the rub. Gawd!

Found that if you take a serpa shoulder safety belt wrap (from the car), and wrap the cord of the lanyard with it, it pads everything! Sorta looks like a huge fly patch! That's however, not saying it looks good ... it just resembles a huge fly patch! And, you can hang the net on the back, and fish without falling down from tripping on the net.

This trip was to the same place we went a few weeks ago. Spring break was over and done, and Cary and I had much of the stream to ourselves for most of each day. The weather was most cooperative, the red bud trees were all in full flower; and the trouts were plentiful. A winning combination for sure!! Hope we worked out most of the kinks, and are now ready for our South Dakota, land of NO trouts, trip!