I fly fish out of a canoe, this is the best way to get around the lakes and bayous of S.E Texas. Anywho, I bought a new 3 wt rig this Saturday, got a really good deal at a local sporting goods place, Marburgers in Seabrook. I am really wanting to get it on some freshwater bluegill and bass. I take the day off from work. Load my boat, rod, lunch, drinks, bug dope and gear bag. I even stop back at Marburger’s to pickup a few flies, man I love that store.
I get to Sheldon Reservoir. Unload my canoe, load the ice chest, get my beautiful TFO/Sage 3 wt rig and lock up th old trusty Focus. I get my PFD on, and ready for my paddle. Uhmm, where’s your paddle Bryan. Oops, must be in the car ehh Bryan. Bryan looks in his car, where he normally has a minimum of six paddles to choose from. Bryan remembers that he took them out to rinse them off and failed to return them into there proper place in the back of the wagon. Load the boat back up, put my gear away, sit at the boat ramp and eat my lunch looking at a perfect day on the lake, I was the only person there. All I could do was to laugh, luckily I am off for the rest of the week.
What, no fishing from shore, that would be novel I am sure? Something about being without is the mother of invention…That is why you always should carry Duct Tape, Bailing Wire and J.B. weld with you. You could have found something to improvise into a paddle? No? OK.
Sometimes I have the best of times when it doesn’t start out as I intended.
[This message has been edited by Jonezee (edited 12 June 2006).]
This past friday, Told my kids to get everything ready to go fishing. I then ran some errands. When I returned we threw the canoe on the car, loaded up the gear jumped in the car and headed for the lake. About three quarters of the way there I looked at my 14 year old and asked did you put the paddles in?
Answer Uhhhh NO.
Turn around and by this time the thunder storm was gathering… trip canceled.
Bryan,
First, welcome aboard to the best site ANYWHERE! Secondly, the glove box door in your car should have come off easily enough. A little duct tape, a sturdy branch, the glove box door, & you’re in business! All it takes is a little Irish Buckeye logic.
Mike
You can call me Mike & you can call me Mikey…Just remember that this site’s about sharing!
I think I would have took my trusty hatchet to a small tree and made a long pole and pushed my self around with that. (would love to see what happens when I hit deep water)
Thank you so much for this cautionary tale! I think I would have lost it, myself. You’re inspiring me to consider making myself a hood ornament out of a paddle. Right after I make a hood ornament out of my PFD and another out of my dry fly box.
I can go you one better than that Bryan. I forgot the whole boat!!!
Thursday I left home to join my fly fishing club on our annual outing to Michigan. This year we fished the Muskegon River below Croton Dam. This is absolutely perfect water for the Water Skeeter pontoon. Drift along from one flat to another, fishing the holes along the way. Nice 7 hour float from the Dam to Thronapple access.
I got off work at 7AM Thursday and hurried home to get the fish van packed and get on the road. I had a packing list for all my food, camping gear, fishing gear, etc. Didn’t add the Skeeter to the list because, after all…WHO WOULD FORGET TO LOAD THE BOAT???
Luckily there were two fellows from the club who brought along their drift boats and there was an extra seat available. Otherwise I may have had to try and inflate my waders and float downstream in them. Hard to do in beathables.
I attribute it to a combination of old age, and an above average DAA… Dumb Arse Attack. There are others I could relate, but they pale in comparison.
These are the idle thoughts that posses a man’s mind when he’s not able to fish.
[This message has been edited by Satchel (edited 13 June 2006).]
Bryan,
You’re new, so I checked your profile. Thanks! If,in your position in life, you do things like this I’ll certainly never feel guilty about doing the same again BG
My suggestion, stash an extra paddle someplace as you said you sometimes do but never remove it.
According to Murphy, you’ll ALWAYS have 2 paddles from here on out :-)) Never fails!
Jeremy.
[This message has been edited by Jeremy (edited 13 June 2006).]
Thanks for kind suggestions, I especially like duct tape and glove box door as a paddle.
As I mentioned, I almost always have all my gear in the car so I can go at a moments notice, but I was tiring of being the butt of family jokes. Teenage daughters can be sarcastic, “your car smells weird” “Do we have to take your car?”. Well I am just going to endure the sarcasm.
Thanks for the nice welcome to FAOL, this is truely a great site.
A good friend of mine used to duck hunt out a kayak. One year day after Christmas he went to one of our local spots about a half mile paddle to a sand bar. He got there early set up his decoy spread got his blind set up and got ready. Birds starting fly and he went to load his guy. No shells, left two boxes at his house several miles away. I still give him hell about leaving his shells at home all the time.
LOL…reminds me of the time I was to meet my dad in the Beartooths. He was scouting out a lake we hadnt fished before. He hiked in on Friday and camped overnite. So on Saturday I walk into his camp and ask him how the fishing was. Well it turned out he never got to fishing because he left his fly rod at home or in the truck (I forget which). He had his reel and a fly box, but no rod LOL. I give him a hard time about that every now and then.
