jbird
03-17-2007, 10:53 PM
Well, I was seriously not planning on releasing the story of my adventures yesterday do to unbareable humiliation and embarrassment. Tho I do consider you all my friend and thought maybe you would enjoy laughing at my expense. so here goes!
My friend James called me at precisly 5:55 AM to inform me he would have to back out of our planned trip. At this point I was still in bed and was considering seriously just bagging the trip now that I had no one to go with. My wife stongly suggestedI dont go alone. but, I did.
I drove the hour and fifteen minutes over to klamath lake to persue the monster trout in the gin clear water. Its an amazing place where it is so clear the huge trout (3-10+ lbs) appear to be flying and you feel like you are floating in the air just above them in a boat. A very special place.
As I came to the access road to the boat ramp, it was covered in snow. I stepped out of the truck and examined the snow. It was very hard and apeared to be 3-4" deep. I pondered a moment and then thought, I could do it, after all, I have 4WD! 8). As I enterd the snow...with boat in tow, I realized it was quite a bit deeper than I thought...like 10-12"! There is a bare patch of road about 75 yrd ahead and I had to floor it to make it there. There were more, similar drifts ahead. At this point I decided I'd made a huge mistake :roll: DUH!!! SO I unhitch the boat and turn myself around and try to make it back up thru the drift to the road. After about an hour of backing down and racing up the drift, I decided I was gonna need help.
I called for a tow truck who came and pulled me and my boat out for the low, low price of $100! Even tho I am a 20 year AAA Plus member, the driver insisted this was no "roadside service" call....Okay! Whatever Dude! Just get me the #%^& OUT!
While I was waiting for the tow, I phoned my wife to tell her what a dummy she married. She says " I told you you shouldnt have gone, now this is definitly a sign that your trip wasnt meant to be". I said "yeah, youre probably right honey"
So guess what I did after the tow truck left?
I headed down the main road to where I know the road is sorta close to the lake. I pull off, grab my rod and vest, phone and camera and head down thru the snow, through the forest and to the lake. I get to the water and am overwhelmed by the huge fish calmy swirling about everywhere. I look down the bank, and what should I see? A canoe, just sitting there, upside down, in the spring thaw. Theres nobody for miles around, I think I may just take this little vessel for a spin. I wont go far, just out far enough to get at those fish.
So thats just what I did. I shove off and within 2 minutes, I'm into my first big, klamath lake rainbow. I clumsily, without a net, get the fish boated and released. Didnt take a picture cause I was sure there would be ample fish to photograph in the near future.
I spent the next 2 1/2 hrs chasing fish all over this area. I only hooked 2 more fish and lost them both. :oops: :cry:
The dangling carrot of rising fish drew me quite a ways from my launch spot...when the unthinkable happened. While shifting my weight and clearing line out from under my foot to make a cast, the horizon went sideways then upside down. In the blink of an eye, myself and all I had, was swimming in klamath lake. :shock:
I swam to shore (which was only 30' away...thank God!) and immediately took my cell phone off my belt and my digi cam out of my pocket and set them on dry land. I turn around to see the canoe upside down, the top 2' of my flyrod sticking vertically out of the water and a couple flyboxes floating about.
I had to jump back into the 30 something degree water and first get my valuables, deliver them to dry land, then swim back out to retreave the canoe.
I got all organized and got back into the canoe and B-lined it back to where I started. I was totally expecting my truck and boat to be stolen, it wouldve really made the day perfect. but no such luck.
My cell phone was on at the time of dunking, so it went into a malfunction fit. I even dug up an old cell phone today and took it in to have it re-activated. Much to my suprise, after a very aggressive drying routine, the dunked cell phone has regained its composure tonight and is good as new :)
As for the camera, It was off during the ordeal, and has remained off since. I am agrgressively drying it too and keeping my fingers crossed. maybe if I dont turn it on til its all dried out, it'll survive!
This conclude Jbirds story of "This cant be happening to me"
Hope you all enjoyed it!
Jay
My friend James called me at precisly 5:55 AM to inform me he would have to back out of our planned trip. At this point I was still in bed and was considering seriously just bagging the trip now that I had no one to go with. My wife stongly suggestedI dont go alone. but, I did.
I drove the hour and fifteen minutes over to klamath lake to persue the monster trout in the gin clear water. Its an amazing place where it is so clear the huge trout (3-10+ lbs) appear to be flying and you feel like you are floating in the air just above them in a boat. A very special place.
As I came to the access road to the boat ramp, it was covered in snow. I stepped out of the truck and examined the snow. It was very hard and apeared to be 3-4" deep. I pondered a moment and then thought, I could do it, after all, I have 4WD! 8). As I enterd the snow...with boat in tow, I realized it was quite a bit deeper than I thought...like 10-12"! There is a bare patch of road about 75 yrd ahead and I had to floor it to make it there. There were more, similar drifts ahead. At this point I decided I'd made a huge mistake :roll: DUH!!! SO I unhitch the boat and turn myself around and try to make it back up thru the drift to the road. After about an hour of backing down and racing up the drift, I decided I was gonna need help.
I called for a tow truck who came and pulled me and my boat out for the low, low price of $100! Even tho I am a 20 year AAA Plus member, the driver insisted this was no "roadside service" call....Okay! Whatever Dude! Just get me the #%^& OUT!
While I was waiting for the tow, I phoned my wife to tell her what a dummy she married. She says " I told you you shouldnt have gone, now this is definitly a sign that your trip wasnt meant to be". I said "yeah, youre probably right honey"
So guess what I did after the tow truck left?
I headed down the main road to where I know the road is sorta close to the lake. I pull off, grab my rod and vest, phone and camera and head down thru the snow, through the forest and to the lake. I get to the water and am overwhelmed by the huge fish calmy swirling about everywhere. I look down the bank, and what should I see? A canoe, just sitting there, upside down, in the spring thaw. Theres nobody for miles around, I think I may just take this little vessel for a spin. I wont go far, just out far enough to get at those fish.
So thats just what I did. I shove off and within 2 minutes, I'm into my first big, klamath lake rainbow. I clumsily, without a net, get the fish boated and released. Didnt take a picture cause I was sure there would be ample fish to photograph in the near future.
I spent the next 2 1/2 hrs chasing fish all over this area. I only hooked 2 more fish and lost them both. :oops: :cry:
The dangling carrot of rising fish drew me quite a ways from my launch spot...when the unthinkable happened. While shifting my weight and clearing line out from under my foot to make a cast, the horizon went sideways then upside down. In the blink of an eye, myself and all I had, was swimming in klamath lake. :shock:
I swam to shore (which was only 30' away...thank God!) and immediately took my cell phone off my belt and my digi cam out of my pocket and set them on dry land. I turn around to see the canoe upside down, the top 2' of my flyrod sticking vertically out of the water and a couple flyboxes floating about.
I had to jump back into the 30 something degree water and first get my valuables, deliver them to dry land, then swim back out to retreave the canoe.
I got all organized and got back into the canoe and B-lined it back to where I started. I was totally expecting my truck and boat to be stolen, it wouldve really made the day perfect. but no such luck.
My cell phone was on at the time of dunking, so it went into a malfunction fit. I even dug up an old cell phone today and took it in to have it re-activated. Much to my suprise, after a very aggressive drying routine, the dunked cell phone has regained its composure tonight and is good as new :)
As for the camera, It was off during the ordeal, and has remained off since. I am agrgressively drying it too and keeping my fingers crossed. maybe if I dont turn it on til its all dried out, it'll survive!
This conclude Jbirds story of "This cant be happening to me"
Hope you all enjoyed it!
Jay