Went old school today

[Charlie Gonzales]

After fishing with Ken Hanley the other day he gave me a copy of his book "Fly Fishing Afoot for Western Bass"and it got me thinking. Remembering the days when I was growing up, not having a boat or float tube, and I would ride my bike to Folsom and wade the banks for spotties. So today I went old school and waded the banks of Folsom again; first time in over 20 years. It was great and brought back many memories. Probably would have caught more fish if I had gone subsurface, but it was cool just seeing the fish come up and play with the swimming frog. Nothing big, only about 10 to 12", but it was cool to "celebrate the small fish" as Ken would put it. Its good to get back to the roots once in a while.

[Scott V]

Good for you Charlie, but did you ride your bicycle?

[Hairstacker]

Ha, good question Scott.

When I was an 11 - 12 year-old kid, my dad would also drop me and my friends off at the local reservoir in the morning and pick us up in the evening. Great times. Seems parents didn't worry as much about their kids getting abducted back then.

[Rockman]

My brother and I would ride our single speed stingray bikes 4 1/2 miles up and down the hills to the potomoc river sloughs to catch bass, bluegill, catfish, pike, & chain pikearol. Once we got to the dock on Quantico Marine Corp. base. We would hike through the swamp mud to our secret spot. Bad days were about 50 fish, good days were 100 + fish. But really they were all good days. Dodging water maucasuns, alligator snapping turtles up to 30 lbs. Boys will be boys and we had fun.:eek: Mom & Dad had no idea how deep we went out in the swamps to catch fish and have fun.[-X
Wish life was as simple now as it was then.
Life is still one big adventure!
I'm gonna die with a rod in my hand!!
Rockman

[lee s.]

This is one of my favorite pics of Ken doing just that!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/leesoares/CIMG0341.jpg
This pond is full of little critters like that. And just occasionally one a bit more substantial. ;-)

[SHigSpeed]

I used to wait for the Bee truck to get an early shot at delivering the papers, then ride my bike from Citrus Heights to Nimbus Basin to grab a good spot at "the Wall" to fish for salmon with the parolees and stoners. Yeah, no way in hell I'd let my kids do that today! I too, when younger, was dropped off at the lake and picked up later.

I'm wondering how much of the change in attitude is due to actual changes in society or changes in perception?

_SHig

[k.hanley]

Lee I remember that outing very well. Do you remember my birding lesson with you-- hint: immature golden eagle. Now that was a hoot!
Cheers, K

[lee s.]

:-) :-) :-)
You'll never know what a shock it was to find out that ALL them brown birds ain't buzzards.....a TOTAL shock! ;-)

[Ed Wahl]

Don't believe him Lee, they really are. He's yankin your chain.

Hey Ken, it's getting really close to time now.

Got big yellow stimi's?

Ed

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Before I had a drivers license I would ride the levee on my old 125cc motorcycle by my home in south Sac along the Sacramento River down to Cliff's Place Marina to Snodgrass Slough.

I had a single shot shotgun or 22 rifle in a scabbard with my fishing poll tied to the handle bars.

Shot mud hens and fished for LMB.

My dog Daisy would run along beside me.

[BillB]

I remember circa 1960 in Dallas my dad re-modeled 16' Larson Crestliner into a bass boat. When he removed the seats, which were part of some aluminum rectangular prisms used for flotation, my brother and I spotted two rectangular pontoons! We lashed them together with rope and some one-by lumber and, bingo, one of the first toons! We managed to coordinate ourselves enough that we could actually ride side-by-side on bicycles, with the "boat" dangling between us, all over East Dallas to our favorite fishing creeks.

[Charlie Gonzales]

Lovin where this thread is headin.... lets hear more stories.

Tryin to find the pic of my first fly rod fish, it was a spottie from Collins lake.
Anybody else have pics of their first fly rod fish?

[BillB]

Would have had pic's Charlie but the powder for the flash got wet when an 8# LMB splashed our "aluminum toon" when he grabbed my bug!

Reminds me of a time on Lake Tawakani, south east of Dallas, my brother and I were walking along the shore casting into the lake. A very large, 6.5#, channel cat beached himself right at his feet. I told my brother that the cat was attacking him as he smelled like stink bait!