Back To Real Life 11/28/16.

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

wade-right-300x50

 Brought to you by  waderight2-50

** For a super deal use promo code FCT15 and get 15% off on your online  order!**

The turkey is nothing but a carcass, there is to much food left, and Thanksgiving is gone for another year.  I hope you, and whoever you spent it with, had a great holiday.  I was lucky enough to see the Cowboys live, and will be doing that again, what a team.  And it was good to see family but it is time to hit the road.  We will be heading home from Arkansas today but will only go halfway before we stop and see if we can come out on the winning end of a small “investment”  in the gaming industry.  And a free room half way home is a good thing, two 6 hour drives is way mo’ better than one 12 hour.  The Boss and I have been covering the miles together since we were paramedic partners, taking transfers on our standby time and then working all night.  We covered thousands of mile together, sometimes on no sleep, running red for 120 miles is a snow storm with a critical patient.  Those were the days – for young folks!

********************

As a rule I do not generally post my stringer pictures as I do not measure or weigh any of them.  But Billy posted this picture of our limit and they were just as good as I thought they were the other day so I wanted to share it with you.

billy

A nice mess!

Two man limit of trout and two bonus flounder.
Two biggest trout were 21″ & 22″. Big flounder was 22″.

And yes, before you go all junior game warden on me, there were two of us.

So not a bad trip considering we fished right through a “norther.”  Billy is a good stick and we had fun.  So looking at this bunch there was nothing to complain about.  Thanks Billy, I probably should try measuring a few occasionally.  Catch you on the water next time.

*******************

Matty Island Smack Down

And the Mad Trout Fisherman with friends and family is just whacking them with the old “Blast and Cast.”

img_6718

The young guns get on em with a little help from the Mad Trout Fisherman. A thing of beauty, these guys will have memories for life.  Chad.

It really is a thing of beauty that you share your knowledge and time with these boys.  They really will have memories for a lifetime and who knows, there just may be a couple of real fishermen in the bunch.  And if someone had taken me wading and I would have caught them like that back then I would have probably peed my pants and moved to Texas!

img_1321

Nothing more to be said about this but I do not know who is luckier, father or son.

img_1320

Happy faces, just not on the ducks.

These are super pics and will be great memories.  Passing it on is not only good for the kids, but great for our sport.  When you are long gone they will tell their kids about the times they had with the Mad Trout Fisherman  back in the “Good Old Days.”.  Remember, your today is someone else’s “Good Old Days.”  Nothing better.  As usual thanks for the reports, keep them coming.

*********************

I got a few comments on the pictures and post from the Old Days that I wanted to share with you.

Man, that was good stuff. I am sitting at deer camp thinking about fishing & trapping! Your writing brought back some great memories. I caught my first coon in a steel trap in about 2nd grade, a 4.5 lb bass in a stock pond that had no fish in it on a yellow/ black shister spinner on a Zebco 202 about the same year and it broke the rod, in high school got stuck in the Pringle/army hole area several times after duck hunting trying to catch reds as the norther would blow in……. Times have changed but the desire to hunt & fish has not, only the amount of time available to do it. Seems like making a living gets in the way for most of us. Thanks For Your Writing! RL

Ah the Zebco 202, my first fishing reel.  I think it was my 6th birthday on this earth when I got my rod and reel.  Of course I found it before my birthday and talk about one excited little kid.  Then me and Fat (What we called him.) Freddie Patterson (He had the coolest flat top!) rode our bikes to the river to fish off the bulk head behind the Electric Company.  We left them baited and walked to the pop machine and came back and mine was gone.  I was devastated and remember thinking I could not go home.  Then good fortune struck.  Freddie got a bite and as he reeled in a catfish he hooked my line, we got the rod and I reeled in a nice carp.  Then as we would do for a few years we rode our bikes to the back door of the Catholic Hospital and the nuns would trade us ice cream bars for our fish.  We were living, and it was my first foray into the fishing business.

Next I graduated to the Zebco 33, which was the reel of choice for me until I got my first casting reel when I moved to Arkansas.  I was really styling.  And I sure can appreciate the time in my life when work got in the  way of the outdoors.  Now I am lucky enough to get to fish, so stay healthy and save your money, your turn is coming.  Thanks for your comment, it just brought back more memories.  And if you think about it, our memories are really all we are left with.  It is not money, a big houses, or fancy cars, those things are fleeting.  When it comes down to it our memories of family and friends along with our time in the great outdoors will be the important things that define our lives, so go makes some more!  The old saying he who dies with the most toys wins is such BS.

*******************

Doug, I wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed reading this post. I loved the stories, the pictures and the history. Thanks for sharing!!

Jim

It is these kind comments that keep me writing.  At times I struggle to keep it interesting, and when I sat down and wrote that post the words came easy and it is my pleasure to share them with you.  I hope that it stirred some memories in all of you and when I get comments like this it makes the whole thing worth it.

*********************

I am really getting excited about the coming weekend, though we may start as early as Wednesday afternoon, with some of the Austin Boys.  It really has been my pleasure and honor to be included in the festivities and I wanted to share something Ro sent to the group.  If this does not make your mouth water then you might as well just head to McDonalds.

 I’ll have smoked meats (ribs, drumsticks, brisket, et cetera) for on the water lunches, elk chile to accompany fish tacos (I’ll bring avocados, torts, and pico and other fixings for fish tacos) for a dinner.  Todd had mentioned gumbo for one night’s dinner as well.  I’ll make some cornbread casserole to go with the chile as well (that might cover Thurs night after Welders).  Salads and veggies will be there too.  Got dinners covered so long as Todd has a gumbo or similar one night.  Coffees and breakfasts are open for volunteers.  As well as Margaritas fixins.

There is absolutely nothing better after a long day on the water than finishing it off with these kind of vittles.  The boys can not only catch fish, but they sure as hell know how to eat!  So I will be replacing line, gluing baits on jig heads, oiling reels, buying more baits, getting my stuff ready, and buying more baits.  And did I say buying more baits?  At 63 I get just as excited as that little guy who peddled his ass off on that Schwinn with visions of leaping lunkers driving him on.  Now it may be a fancy truck and high dollar gear, but the feeling is the same – We Are Going Fishing!  And NO, if I told you where we were eating I would have to kill you!

********************

And now for a proud Grandpa moment.  My daughter, husband, and two girls just got back from a mission and some safari in South Africa.  Baby Wren is just 2 and they said she was a trooper.  Multiple flights and location changes over 17 days did not faze her, and that says a lot for a 2 year old.  They were on the last leg of the journey, getting ready to land, hit customs, and go home when disaster finally struck.  She puked all over herself and dad, with the clothes in the checked baggage.

15202514_10102116963355701_8911050053074708733_n Headed to Customs to re-enter the US.  No shoes, no pants, no problem.

There were some great comments on Leigh’s facebook page.  “Man the TSA requirements are getting worse and worse.”  “Maybe it would actually save a lot of time and energy if we all went through with just a diaper on.”  “Ha, this is a new goal of mine.”  “Sooo many nights this is what I would wear home after a night of dancing.”  “Keeping it simple.”  “Way to make an entrance Wren.”  The kids had a great time and got to see lions, elephants, and lots of other cool stuff.  And Mia, who is 6, actually got to attend school for a day while she was there and loved it.  What an experience for the kids.

*******************

Not really sure what is next but no matter what it will be the river on Thursday and then the bay.  I might slide out for a short trip on Tuesday just to test the water.   From Chad’s report the fish are still having at it and as long as the weather doesn’t crap out it should be a good trip.  And if you have any comments or reports send them on, they are always appreciated.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

About Redfishlaw

I am a retired attorney who just loves to fish. I was a freshwater guide for about 20 years and now have moved to the salt. I am not the greatest fisherman, but I am committed. So if you love fishing, and want to learn what little I have to offer, stop by anytime.
This entry was posted in Fish Catching Travel. Bookmark the permalink.