The night before

ClydeFrog · 06-21-2005, 08:22 PM

Woot! Heading up north after work tomorrow and taking Thursday off to do some fishing. The night before fishing is a bit like Christmas eve with the anticipation ...

I'm excited, tomorrow I'll be on the Manistee ...

It's hard to explain the obsession to most people. Here's a good attempt by a famous author:

Quote:

Testament of a Fisherman By John Voelker (Robert Traver)
I fish because I love to; because I love the environment where trout are found, which are invariably beautiful, and hate the environs where crowds of people are found, which are invariably ugly; because of all the television commercials, cocktail parties, and assorted social posturing I thus escape; because in a world where most men seem to spend their lives doing things they hate, my fishing is at once an endless source of delight and an act of small rebellion; because trout do not lie or cheat and cannot be bought or bribed or impressed by power, but respond only to quietude or humility and endless patience; because I suspect that men are going along this way for the last time, and I for one don't want to waste the trip; because mercifully there are no telephones on trout waters; because only in the woods can I find solitude without loneliness; because bourbon out of an old tin cup always tastes better out there; because maybe one day I will catch a mermaid; and, finally, not because I regard fishing as being so terribly important but because I suspect that so many of the concerns of men are equally unimportant - and not nearly so much fun.

{OF}Blong · 06-21-2005, 08:24 PM

man im jealous. I wanna go

.

Capt. Insane · 06-21-2005, 08:28 PM

fly fishing without the big rubber boots? looks fun nonetheless. i wish i could go fishing instead of stupid work. i hate my job. i'll have been there 2 weeks this thursday

ClydeFrog · 06-21-2005, 08:49 PM

The waders are already in the truck, if I got sand all over the house wifey would kick my buttocks!

Although, I didn't used to wear waders at all (in the summer) until after college. I'd just wear an old pair of tennis shoes and let my legs go numb (57 deg water). The streams I fish have some heavy current and I actually had to sort of swim in a few spots which is fine in shoes buy pretty dangerous in waders.

That all ended when I moved to Wisconsin. I got off one stream late in the evening (20 miles from anywhere and 40 miles from home) and brushed the muck off my legs. Several spots of muck didn't come off ... wait a minute ... GAAAA!! LEACHES!!!!

Don't get me wrong, I'm a gunpowder-sniffin', truck-drivin' manly-man but I did a little girly dance trying to get those buggers off me. I was able to just pull all of them off except this one big sucker. As I pulled the skin on my leg just stretched. I didn't have any salt, matches or a lighter and nothing I had with me had any effect but I was NOT going to drive to civilization with that Faustian nightmare sucking my blood the whole way.

I had a lot of my field tools including some alligator clips and my set of jumper cables. I grounded him at one end and stretched him as far as he'd go ... then I carefully tapped him with a probe hooked up to the hot and he let go in a hurry.

While were on the subject if you remove a leach from your body and he's full of blood be careful how much you hit him with the fire. Once I took one off and proceeded to toast him. The blood inside started to boil and he swelled up then exploded like a firecracker. Ewww.

dudio · 06-21-2005, 09:00 PM

Beautiful looking spot Clyde.
I haven't fly-fished in ages .. I'm on my way !

Enjoy your time there bud.

{OF}RKT · 06-21-2005, 11:10 PM

Wow, I need to dig out my fly rod.... Looks fantastic..

{OF}verrecke · 06-22-2005, 01:39 AM

Have a great time! My dad is going on his annual fishin' trip next week, and taking his ER Special net as well. Are those your handmade rods, Clyde?

I don't really fish, but one of my fondest memories of my granddad was him taking me fishing on the White River in Arkansas. I sure miss him.

{OF}Malicious Assault · 06-22-2005, 04:31 PM

HAve a good time clyde

{OF} achilles · 06-22-2005, 06:23 PM

sheeesh . Clyde the second one did it. I'm on my way now. Got my Zebco, boober and fishing worms in hand.

Have fun Clyde. Looks like a good fshing hole to me!

{OF}Malicious Assault · 06-22-2005, 07:39 PM

Heck I'll just go watch Clyde fish and watch the birds and animals

looks like a nice peaceful place.