FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Brought to you by

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

I am waiting to start the trout fishing portion of our trip to Colorado tomorrow.  We have a house on the river and fishing is at our doorstep.  I am really looking forward to putting some rainbows in the pan the way we did shore lunch for the guide customers on the White.  I actually guided for them off and on for 20 years in Arkansas, and how knows, maybe I will add a nice brown to the list.  There are some pretty long comments so I thought I would share them before the fishing begins.

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

One of the guys I met through the Austin Boys is Dan Oko, who is a professional writer and an at large for Texas Monthly.  He was doing an article on his quest for an 8lb bass for AAA when we fished together last spring.  I haven’t seen the article yet but here is a shot of the cover.  I managed to catch a good one, but unfortunately Dan did not score on his quest for a Share A Lunker last spring.  But who does not like trying?  He sent me this…..

The photographer took this from the bank while we were back in one of the creeks on Coleto.  Our next endeavor is a go at Fayette later this fall or winter.

**********************Get inhaled

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

I thought my Academy experience was an isolated experience.  Academy screwed up my license but read this from Chris.  It could have been ugly.

Just read your license story from Academy and don’t think I ever told you about what happened last year…

For a few years, I won’t buy a duck stamp there, a couple years of buying one and it never showing up makes me go wait in line at the post office so they hand it to me right there.  It got a lot worse this past year.  I went in on August 16 and bought my new super combo.  I went over to the table and she printed out a license, looked at it, and said “oops, I messed that one up.”  She printed a second one and I was on my way.  Fast forward a couple months of both hunting and fishing and I call up TPWD for my sand hill crane permit (you can only get this by calling up the guys in Austin) and he looks me up and tells me I don’t have a license.  I pull my license out of my wallet and the second time she did the license she cancelled my 2018 license and reissued my 2017 license, which expired 14 days later.  TPWD confirmed they had record of Academy issuing a 2018 license, then cancelling it, then reprinting my old one.  So I had been hunting for a couple months with no license.  At least I can say when I went back to Academy and explained what happened, they called TPWD, confirmed it, and gave me a new license without charging me again.  Good thing I never got checked those few months!

Not sure what else to say about this subject but how incompetent can you get?  Like I said last post, if you want it done right just go to the TPWD office in Victoria.  Or at least absolutely confirm what they give you.

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

And fishfearlarry sent this comment on the Power Pole.

Just a thought in regards to your comment on power poles and anchors in your last post. Many anglers have grown “secure” to trusting them as an anchor. My way of looking at this is you pull in shallow to get out of the boat to make a wade and it is a nice calm morning with a soft mud bottom, your boat will be secure because the pole will probe deep into the bottom. but, as it can so easily happen, what if a little thunderstorm comes near and the winds pick up and the wave action gets up? The boat will naturally rock up and down and could easily cause the power pole to loose the contact. Not only that, but if the waves are high enough and the pole is keeping your boat secure, the waves will be breaking over the back of the boat and could (and has) caused boats to fill with water and sink. An anchor surely is the most secure and is tied off the front of the boat for a reason…boats are made to take waves from the bow, not the stern. Another mistake that many people make is, not letting out enough anchor line. A short anchor can easily dislodge just like a power pole if the wave action picks up. My last thought for this post is in regards to the many of us that wade and hunt when the waters get cold enough to cause us to put our waders on. we get to the boat ramp and one of the pre launch activities is to put our waders and boots on so that when we get to our spot, all we have to do is grab our gear and hop out. How many of us are wearing life preservers with the kill switch attached when we are motoring across the bay in water that will normally be over our heads? Just something for all of us to think about.

A well thought out comment and a primer on anchoring the boat.  And your last point is really worth thinking about.  As I have gotten older the kill switch is basically a mandatory, the life jacket when I am fishing by myself on a lake.  But once I thought about your last point, all that on, no life jacket or kill switch, whipping across the bay at daylight on a winter day is a receipe for disaster.  Having had a boat on my head during a tornado years ago made me realize it can happen to me…. and you.  So you all can take this for what it is worth, but we don’t drive the car without a seat belt.  And good to hear from you.  Thanks.

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

And Topwater Billy dropped this comment.

Several things.
First off, it’s kind of, for lack of a better word, odd, that I read this today and you made a statement about Coleto dropping. I just drove over Texana today and made the statement to my wife that I was shocked. If it has dropped at all since it filled up with the June rains, it has not done so much. Most definitely cannot notice just driving over it.
Second, as to the POC incident. To the best of my knowledge, whether they were using an anchor or Power Pole was never made public. Apparently the two young men pulled up to a wadefishing spot and got out of the boat to do so. When the boat started drifting away, one of them took off swimming after it. Call went out at about 7:15 in the morning for the rescue. As you said, very sad for that young man and his family.
It’s POC, there are multitudes of people on the water, even during the week. Let the dam boat go. Yes, there may be the one a**hole out there that will steal it or the gear out of it. But more than likely that will not be the case. It is NOT worth it and you will NOT beat mother nature.
As to the Power Pole. I’m sure there are many, many people that use it as the the soul means of “anchoring” there boat. I would be willing to bet that is the companies intent as well. And no, I am knocking the company in the least bit. But as they always say, better safe than sorry.
Next, sucks that you had to go through the license thing. However, I’m glad you brought the situation to light. Reminds me that I need to get mine. Had completely forgotten it was time to do that.
Seeing as one seem to be rambling, going to combine the last three things.
Sounds like Rick is on to something. Can you say…….s.a.l.t. air…….lol. And yes, I too read the bath tube water reports. BTW, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the blog.
Lastly, safe travels to Colorado and catch one of them over the rainbow fishes for me. At least I can say I caught one in spirit.

Thanks for the birthday wish.  As far as Academy, see above.  That is crazy.  And when I crossed Texana a couple of weeks ago it liked good to me, which did surprise me as fast as Coleto is dumping.  And your comments on letting the boat go says it all, just wave and keep fishing, it will work out one way or the other.  It just might be a long night.  And I will try to catch a rainbow for you.  Catch you later.

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

This post might be a little disjointed, it is late at night and I wanted to get this stuff up before the fishing begins tomorrow.  I am excited about the fishing, the eating, and we just love the mountains.  We had a good time in Durango today, and really enjoyed visiting the town of Creede yesterday, a cool old mining town.  There is a great stream there that I doubt I will fish this week, it is a little to far away, but it is on the to be fished at some point list.  Plus with a river in my front yard tomorrow there will be plenty of fishing without going any where.  We have seen a few mule deer, some turkeys, antelope, and what looked like a big herd of elk way off.  The area we are staying is where we saw lots of big bucks last trip, so hope to see some more.   Time to get the camera out!  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines