Sunday + Monday Night on the Feather

[Tony Buzolich]

Geez, what a month this has been, and one I don't care to repeat.

April 22, I'm fishing stripers on the Sac with one of my best friends. The wind is blowing and he plants a 3/0 Clouser square in the middle of my forehead knocking me to the deck of his boat. Fortunately only my cap went in the water as my friend grabbed me. Wipe off a little blood and go about fishing, even ended up with five nice stripers.

When we got home I noticed my face and mouth were black and blue from where the line had slapped me. Maybe I should get the doc to take a look and so that afternoon I go in for some blood work and followup.

The next morning I get a call at 6:30AM from Kaiser saying they want me to come in to emergency now! Very low platelettes.

I go in and the next thing you know they're feeding me platelettes in the ER and telling me not to do anything as I could be bleeding internally and not even know it. I'm diagnosed with ITP (short for a long word meaning no platelettes or the ability to clot). I spend a week in the hospital until the count starts to come up, and then it's been every other day driving in for medication and more transfusions.

Well, I'm going nuts sitting around this house when I'm hearing all these great fishing reports and daytime television really sucks more than I ever imagined. I'm really wanting to get back out on the water, outside anywhere.

This Sunday my son and daughter-in-law Jennifer come up for Sunday dinner as they usually do and I talk my son in to taking ol' dad out for a boat ride after dinner. He can launch the boat and park the trailer and I get to go for a ride.

We launch at Boyd's Pump and head upstream almost to Shanghai Falls before we drag bottom and decide to drift back downstream. I just happen to have a couple of #6w. fly rods in the boat rigged with shad flies and I talk my son in to dropping anchor. Just for a few minutes Jennifer has never taken a shad and after having the fly in the water for only a moment, she hooks her first ever shad. Then my son, then my wife, and then Jennifer again, and so it went until almost 10:00PM. Non stop shad with a full moon shining on the water.



Around 8:30PM the river really came alive with stripers busting everywhere. Shad exploding in the air with stripers boiling under them and no big rod in the boat. Remember, I'm just going for a little boat ride.

The next day, I talk my wife in to going out again with another good friend Don Voigt. I figure my wife and Don can handle the boat if I pass out or something and they know their way home.

We get up to the same spot a little before dark and I get my wife and Don going before trying to dip a line myself. This is a repeat of the night before as my wife is taking a shad on almost every cast and Don is doing great being new to shad as well. Most of my time is spent taking fish off their hooks before I can even fish, but this is the best kind of fun.

We end up with over thirty fish in just a couple of hours, and Don gets the grand prize with the largest shad we've ever taken



So, If I hadn't gotten hit in the head with that Clouser, I might never have gone in to see the doc. Sometimes things are meant to be and hopefully I'll be back in full swing soon.

TONY

[David Lee]

Tony -

I'm sorry to hear about the run of bad health . Please , take it easy for a while and get your strength back !!

On the bright side ......... you didn't get a transfusion of MY blood - you'd probably still be buzzed

Get well soon !!

David

[Darian]

Hey Tony,.... Sounds like Shad fishin' is hot up there. Certainly cool down here.... Mainly hit & miss....

How's your treatment coming along Hopefully, this condition will be over in a short period (maybe with medication ) Are you still planning on going to Baja in July Doesn't seem prudent for now, at least.

As I recall, we were talking about me going with you, then. Unfortunately, due to some health concerns about my Mother (who lives in SoCal), I haven't considered a second trip but am still going on May 31st.

I sure hope this health thing is being resolved for you.... No fun being stuck at home.

[Adam Grace]

Get well soon Tony!

[lee s.]

Hey Tony,
You ARE one of the ones we want around.......for a long, LOOOONG time!!!
Get well.
.....lee s.

[Jgoding]

Hpoe you get better Tony! I donate platelettes on a regular basis (AB+), so it's cool to hear that they do help out people.

Jeff

[Anne Vitale]

Tony.... Here is wishing you well. Judging from the look on your face, holding that beautiful hen sure seems to have brightened your spirits. You just need to fish more ...if that is possible.
Love ya.....Anne