RvW
09-21-2003, 08:49 PM
I witnessed a bunch of rude gestures and just plain dipstick moves in my brief last minute trip to the Siletz today, almost thought I was at a Salmon River snaggers reunion floatila.
A few examples:
This guy and his two sons are drifting along fighting a good sized nook in a small aluminum dingy. It was quite obvious they had a fish on, the net was ready, the rod was doubled over, and the kids were excited, all aboard where standing, then a sled full of buzzbombers comes along and anchors a few feet away right in thier path! graemlins/dork.gif :hoboy:
***
Are the signs that say "no wake - 5 mph" simply vanities or clever gull roosts?
I bet I was in the smallest boat on the water today and got hammered by the largest wakes, both out in the channel only feet away from my boat a couple folks just fly by and dislodge my anchor, one guy did it TWICE!! :shrug: AND rite in front of moorages with boats tied off everywhere, these folks in sleds with power they never use and likely dont have a clue how to, fly by a no-wake zone slamming all the boats up against the docks. graemlins/icon_argue.gif and send me on a roller coaster ride. Now I can certainly handle wakes and know they are unavoidable, but when I owned a sled, I offered the courtesy of at least offering a buffer zone if not slowing down. Is this uncommon now that fishing is a sport of kings rather than a pastime?
Is it amazing how there are people with the skills and intelligence to afford 30, 40 thousand dollar boats yet dont have the foggiest idea, (or common courtesy) that when you travel fast in the water, it makes the water ripple? graemlins/dork.gif ...uh, sometimes BIG ripples that are a danger and a nuesance and can be damaging to other peoples property?
Or are there really anglers out there who just dont care about anyone but themselves and thier city-slicker friends?
I continued fishing dispite the meatheads on the water, but I began to think about why, or better yet how I came to love fishing...The big picture.
When I look back I remember the most important thing was the serene peaceful environment, the bond with mother nature, the sound of loons, gulls, frogs, and the occasional splash of a fish.
The only thing to interupt this little slice of heaven was the zip of the reel and the adreniline surge that completely overwhelms the thought of dozing off on the banks or the boat in the warm sun.
I look back even more and remember that there was never any "boat envy" or dreams of owning the "bigger better sled" or 300 dollar rod and reel. I was perfectly content to be in the midst of mother natures realm.
Catching a fish was an added bonus, not a requirement, not a disappointment if it didnt happen, more of a little extra cheese on the pizza, or whipped cream on the home-made cobbler.
I also noticed a mile-long oil slick on the water that literally made me sick. Baitfish were surfacing in it and without a doubt will be dead soon if not already. Gulls and herons waded and walked through the man-made toxin. When I am finally in a spot where I can only see fog and the sun straining to break through...I hear herons argue with gulls, and smell the crisp morning air, I see a beer can float by the boat and hear the roar of an old truck without a muffler scream past. :hoboy:
I managed a 30 lb bright nook within minutes of launching and the rest of the brief trip had me seriously questioning what it is I enjoy about fishing so much that allows me to be in the midst of such rude selfish people and an abused environment.
Think I will get back to basics. Flyrod... secluded waters, and a vision that theres a fish out there that evaded the seals and other natural predators, made it through the dams, the hoglines, the snaggers, the oilslicks and polution and somehow found my hand-tied fly.
Either that or I may just find a new way to bond with mother nature because what I experienced today was far from the pastime I grew up loving so much.
[ 09-22-2003, 07:39 PM: Message edited by: STGRule ]
A few examples:
This guy and his two sons are drifting along fighting a good sized nook in a small aluminum dingy. It was quite obvious they had a fish on, the net was ready, the rod was doubled over, and the kids were excited, all aboard where standing, then a sled full of buzzbombers comes along and anchors a few feet away right in thier path! graemlins/dork.gif :hoboy:
***
Are the signs that say "no wake - 5 mph" simply vanities or clever gull roosts?
I bet I was in the smallest boat on the water today and got hammered by the largest wakes, both out in the channel only feet away from my boat a couple folks just fly by and dislodge my anchor, one guy did it TWICE!! :shrug: AND rite in front of moorages with boats tied off everywhere, these folks in sleds with power they never use and likely dont have a clue how to, fly by a no-wake zone slamming all the boats up against the docks. graemlins/icon_argue.gif and send me on a roller coaster ride. Now I can certainly handle wakes and know they are unavoidable, but when I owned a sled, I offered the courtesy of at least offering a buffer zone if not slowing down. Is this uncommon now that fishing is a sport of kings rather than a pastime?
Is it amazing how there are people with the skills and intelligence to afford 30, 40 thousand dollar boats yet dont have the foggiest idea, (or common courtesy) that when you travel fast in the water, it makes the water ripple? graemlins/dork.gif ...uh, sometimes BIG ripples that are a danger and a nuesance and can be damaging to other peoples property?
Or are there really anglers out there who just dont care about anyone but themselves and thier city-slicker friends?
I continued fishing dispite the meatheads on the water, but I began to think about why, or better yet how I came to love fishing...The big picture.
When I look back I remember the most important thing was the serene peaceful environment, the bond with mother nature, the sound of loons, gulls, frogs, and the occasional splash of a fish.
The only thing to interupt this little slice of heaven was the zip of the reel and the adreniline surge that completely overwhelms the thought of dozing off on the banks or the boat in the warm sun.
I look back even more and remember that there was never any "boat envy" or dreams of owning the "bigger better sled" or 300 dollar rod and reel. I was perfectly content to be in the midst of mother natures realm.
Catching a fish was an added bonus, not a requirement, not a disappointment if it didnt happen, more of a little extra cheese on the pizza, or whipped cream on the home-made cobbler.
I also noticed a mile-long oil slick on the water that literally made me sick. Baitfish were surfacing in it and without a doubt will be dead soon if not already. Gulls and herons waded and walked through the man-made toxin. When I am finally in a spot where I can only see fog and the sun straining to break through...I hear herons argue with gulls, and smell the crisp morning air, I see a beer can float by the boat and hear the roar of an old truck without a muffler scream past. :hoboy:
I managed a 30 lb bright nook within minutes of launching and the rest of the brief trip had me seriously questioning what it is I enjoy about fishing so much that allows me to be in the midst of such rude selfish people and an abused environment.
Think I will get back to basics. Flyrod... secluded waters, and a vision that theres a fish out there that evaded the seals and other natural predators, made it through the dams, the hoglines, the snaggers, the oilslicks and polution and somehow found my hand-tied fly.
Either that or I may just find a new way to bond with mother nature because what I experienced today was far from the pastime I grew up loving so much.
[ 09-22-2003, 07:39 PM: Message edited by: STGRule ]