Fishing the fall Chinook run with my son for the first time.Borrowed my fathers net that hadn't seen water for 15 years.Tyler hooked a 39" 19lb. Chinook which after a fight I put the net over the mighty beast's head. He laughed and continued down stream through the now non existent bottom of the net. Son attached to upset fish, line through net hoop, both in waders chasing fish down stream. Maybe not a stoner moment ,but definitely worthy of the Stooges.
One of my better moments happened a few years ago on the second day of a weekend trip. It was day two of the christening of a new fancy schmancy graphite rod I had just purchased. The day was sunny, warm and tons of flies were in the air.
Having fished bamboo most of my life I was accustomed to joining a rod together but not stringing it up until ready to fish to avoid tangles and snags while walking through the woods on the way to a spot I wished to fish. After walking a good distance up and down stream on a very hilly and rocky creek I discovered to my horror that somehow the top section of my BRAND NEW four piece high priced rod was gone! I assumed one of the guides somehow got snagged on a tree branch and pulled the section off.
I spent the next 5 hours climbing up and down those trails looking in vain for a very skinny dark green rod section in amongst the billions of look-alike items on the forest floor. Besides feeling like a complete a$$; I expected to have to pay well over $150 for a new tip section. I never did find the section and wasted a whole day of excellent fishing despite having an extra rod in the trunk. Added to that embarrassment; I dumped a whole Richardson box FULL of flies on the ground back at the car.
But to add insult to injury on this already horrible trip; I was dealt an additional reason to kick myself for wasting so much time looking for the errant rod section. When I sent the rod back to have a new section made I was quoted a price of $10 for the replacement. Maybe they felt sorry for me for being so stupid or maybe that was the going rate on a $600 dollar rod. But walking around for 5 hours in the woods in waders with ? of a rod looking for a $10 part made it a duh-oh for the books.
These days I always string up my rods ahead of time even if it means changing flies, leaders or tippets when I get to the waters edge.
[This message has been edited by Bamboozle (edited 12 April 2005).]
In January I was fishing on the Gauley River tailwaters at Summersville Dam. Since the water was roaring, I'd decided to wear my bib overalls instead of waders. During a 'nature break' I unknowingly lost my checkbook out of the front pocket of the bibs and didn't discover it until I was back at home that night (some 100 miles away). It all worked out for the best thou; I found the checkbook the next day and the wife couldn't even complain about me taking another day off from my house duties to go fishing!
...Fews years ago I was doing my annual trek
to Colorado to ski. We landed, picked up the shuttle to get our rental car. Got the keys, walked out in the lot and found the car. Loaded up and off we went. Checked into our lodge went out to unload the car...where's my stuff? I've never to this day experienced
that panic striken feeling like I did when I realized my skis and ski bag were not in the car. Unbelievable! fortunately for me an honest soul found them just sitting right where we left them...in the parking lot. He turned the stuff into lost and found. Needless to say it was an expensive trip. I had to go buy another ski jacket, pants, hat gloves, goggles and rent a ski package.
Every year since I hear the same comment..."your skis gonna make the trip this year?"
Brookid
thirdyearflyfisher.com
i have yet to pull anything remotely like what you guys are talking about when fishing, but i did one even worse (read life threatening) on a climbing trip.
couple years ago, my buddy and i headed out to tuolomne meadows to bag Daff Dome peak. we get there and its dark out, but no ones climbing, so we get our gear together and start up, trading off leads. 900ft and 6 hours later, we make it to the top. as we were wealking to the rappell station, i decided to take one last look out over the edge and...whoops!! there goes my rappell device. now im stuck at the top of this 900ft cliff face with virtually no way down.
i quickly rigged a munter hitch and proceeded to waist-belay myself down, but let me tell you, anyone who has ever done this will probably choose to never do it again. it is extremely painful, but if you release pressure to releive pain, you fall..quickly.
from that day on, i always carry two belay-rapel devices...just in case. i developed two worthy mottos out of the situation, though. "getting to the top is optional. getting back down is not." and, "id rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it." lessons learned.
[This message has been edited by tyflier (edited 12 April 2005).]
Howdy Gang
As many of my friends will say I carry a lot of stuff, Maybe too much.
I once even carried my Dutch oven Set on a canoe trip,(last time I was invited)
I have loaded the borrowed Kayak a WS Ride. Straped my extra 9ft 9wt on with the paddle bundgies. Slid the kayak through the cattails heard that sickening sound of graphite snaping and the whack of the remains of the rod hiting the yak.
Different trip to the saltwater flats of Texas. I had placed the rod in the rod rack behind me and hearing that same sickening sound. Not a thing was near the rod no braches or anything.Only thing I can think of is at the fly was touching the water right under the rod..yep.
Lost a box of trout flies on the FireHole. Only to have a man at the camp ground I was staying at if I had lost it. Wish I could remember his name.
I was teaching a group of casters. Layed my GLX on the ground to coach a student. Walked back and as I passed the tip the wind fliped the fly line over my foot the tip followed and the sound rang in my ears....
ol Al
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Ol' Flysoup
Flycasting is as easy as flysoup
Six flyfishers in Three Pickups with campers on them and 2 12 ft boats traveled 4 hours up the side of a mountain in our 4x4's We apparently went up the wrong road , although it did end up at the lake , it hadn't seen a grader for several seasons. The rough part took 3 hours . We learned from another group that the good road only took 1/2 hour and was 2 wheel driveable . but this was not the stoner part . My buddy and I got in our tubes and went fishing . The four guys with the 2 12fts got their boats in the water. There was a sign on a tree that the lakes status had changed to electric motor only . So the 2 gas motors were out , they looked all over , no one brought the oars . Well all was not lost one guy had an electric motor which he had not brought the right battery for . No prob he took the battery from his truck and 1 boat started out . They took a 2 horse gas motor with them in case the battery ran out . Two guys were left to fish from shore and there wasn't much usable shoreline . The battery ran out about 4 pm , There was a fisheries officer at the lake that day so they decided against using the gas motor . They yelled at me to give them a hand and like an idiot I went over to check on what the problem and was . I was sent back to camp to get another battery , we got one out of the truck placed it in a cooler and I paddled about a mile back to rescue dumb and dumber . One of the shorebound guys had gotten frustrated to death , went home and got the oars , and batteries and another electric motor. he arrived back in camp about the same time I did . We told the fisheries guy what happened , He laughed and said that in the circumstances he wouldn't have handed out any fines and if we had read the sign properly we would noted that the start date for the new reg was 3 days hence the gas motors were still legal . We had an uneventful 2 more days fishing and then left for home . I think it was Dumb but It might have been Dumber who left the lake last and realized that His battery wouldn't start his truck He said It should have re charged itself in the 3 days that it sat idle . The only thing going for him was that he was able to cell phone his wife , she sent my buddy back up to get him .
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If You think you are a person of infulence , try ordering someone else's dog around .
For God's sake, Don't Quote me! I'm Probably making this crap up!
I almost forgot , I built a flytying box that I clamp to my computer desk . When I want to use the computer I have to unclamp the vise pick up the box and set it on a nearby swivle chair . I had just set it on the arm of the chair when my 2 grandkids came running thru the house . The box with all the spools of thread and a zillion toothpicks crashed to the floor . I was stunned as I thought of picking up all those toothpicks off the rug . Then came the realization that there were also 1500 or so assorted hooks in at least 20 types and sizes flung into the carpit . While I was picking them up with a magnet , I realized that there were also about 200 tiny beads in the mix as well . Did you ever try to get hooks out of a rug ? or safety sake I had to replace the thankfully small area rug . $150.00 for the rug , god alone knows how much for the hooks I lost . from Now on all my hooks are going to be in separate containers with lids on them , not in a single multi compartmented tray with no lid .
For God's sake, Don't Quote me! I'm Probably making this crap up!
Rustyrat..
Thats funnyernell. And all the time I thought I was the only one who could do that kind of stuff. ILMAO!
Ol' Bill
NY angler...
What a great Idea. I've lost a good number of fly boxes over the years but never got one back. Now If I can find those stickers!
One time I did luck out though. Fishin' Catherine Ck in the 50s I was ducking under a branch when my cicarettes poped out of my shirt pocket and headed for Seneca Lake. I was about to go buy another pack when what do you know? A brand new pack came floating down to me. Celophane still on em and dry as could be. They were even my brand!
Bill
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