PUTTING AWAY THE TOYS
During the week we hooked up the canoe trailer and spent one last day trying to fool some trout on a prairie reservoir that’s a couple hours’ drive away from our Montana home. At least that was the plan. Our success at this particular lake this year has been dismal and this last trip was no exception. When we left home the weather was clear and bright with not a breath of wind blowing, but as we approached our destination the wind began to blow. After a bone jarring drive down the primitive access road on the west side of the lake we parked the vehicle and surveyed the white-capped lake. The only relatively calm water was right along the shore but otherwise the lake being raked by the wind. Oh, and did I mention that the wind was increasing! We did don our waders and attempt to hit a few spots within casting distance from the shore but the increasing wind made that an exercise in futility. It was possible to cast by keeping your back cast low and letting the wind carry your forward cast but it was less than pleasant. Each time we have tried to fish there this summer the wind has made the experience less than enjoyable and this time it made it impossible. There were lots of various ducks and grebes on the lake but the high wind even made birding impossible. Oh well, it was a nice drive, the fall color was spectacular and we saw a lot of nice antelope.
When I stepped outside briefly this morning the sharp bite of the cold air reminded me that summer has slipped away while I wasn’t looking. Within the month the Ladyfisher and I will be south bound for the winter, and it’s time to secure things for the winter here in Montana. Part of that ritual is what I call ‘putting away the toys.”
After our last trip with the canoe I realized that it’s unlikely that we will be using it again this season so the first order of business was making it secure for the winter. In the past I have put it in the garage or set it up on a couple saw horses and secured it with a chain and lock to a tree. This year I decided to leave it on the trailer. It was easy to chain the canoe to the trailer and lock it and the trailer to a tree. This way there is no need to load the canoe on the trailer the next time I decide to use it. I guess I must be getting either older or lazier!
The next order of business will be to put away the rods and reels for the winter. There are not many fly fishing opportunities in southeastern Arizona where we will be wintering so everything needs to be put away before we leave. I take all my rods down, inspect each one to make certain that all the wrappings are secure, there are no nicks or other visual damage, and wipe each one down with a clean cloth before I store them in their metal tubes. I pull the spools out of the reels we used and check for wear. While I have the reels apart I wipe down the insides with a clean cloth and then apply a small amount of reel lubricant before I replace the spool. I check the fly line for cracks and other signs of deterioration. If the line is dirty I clean it with a commercial line cleaning product before I store it away.
Once the rods and reels are safely stored for the winter I take my boot foot waders and hang them in a dark corner in the garage. I roll up my stocking foot waders and put them in their storage bags along with my wading boots.
My fly vest, my tackle bags and the plastic buckets that I use to hold my extra fly boxes come out of my old fishing car and are stored in the rod closet in the house. The old fishing car will be parked in the driveway for the winter, and my house sitter will start it occasionally to keep the battery charged and the lubricants stirred up.
Hopefully there will still be a few days of fall Baetis fishing on the spring creek before we pack up the car and head south for the winter. If fall is here can spring be far away?