Fishing Drunk

[id. painter]

Im not a drinker . I dont get drunk, ever. My entire family history is filled with alchoholism.
All my relatives are or have been an excessive drinker .
Way back when ,,, before I was aware of my predisposition to drink too much, age 18, I did it a few times.
This is a true account of a fishing trip I and my best friend took one evening after downing a half bottle of Tiquila.
We were indestructable . We had been working in the woods all summer . Running chain saws , planting trees and running a auger. We also did a job called Rhodent control. We would run the clear cuts all day long day after day , miles and miles and miles . We were in absolute peek physical condition.
W ecould work at a outragious pace all day and then the minute the work was over we would take a swim (bath) in a river or creek and then go fish till dark.
One day we had the bright idea to fish down Robinson Cr.
Robinson Creek is a shallow (waist deep ) fast running creek that shoots out of the Island Park area and then dumps into the Henery's fork of the snake .
We were convinced that way down the creek where noone ever fished was the secret ticket to big trout . There were no roads for a several mile stretch down from a bridge that was near our camp.
O.k. The Idea was a sound one and founded on past experience . We always caught better fish where noone could get to .
For some strange reason just before we left the rig , the friend who was to drop us off and pick us up at dark ,,,broke out the 5th of booze.
Remember we are 18 and at that time it was the legal drinking age.
So we swig it and wash it down with lime and salt.
As we took off down the creek the full effects of the alchohol haddnt hit yet . So off we went , wearing long legged pants and sneekers.
It didnt take long for me to realize that I had made a big mistake .
The rocks in the creek were absolutly covered in that super slick slime stuff. The water was rushing fast and it litterly swept the two drunkards down way faster that we had expected.
Being young and in shape we had the reflexes to stay a foot and not fall but it was all I could do stay standing .
There were no holes just a fast running waist deep stretch without a single place to catch a fish . So down the river we go bouncing and bobing along and wishing that it could stop.
My shins were taking a beatting and my feet were just a fuzzy blurr below me through the water . It seemed like they were acting with out my intention. Someone elses feet.
About a mile down stream we were starting to loose our energy given by the Tiquila. We started to wear down. We rounded a bend in the creek and saw what looked like a big slack hole below us . I was glad to think we might get to catch a fish.
As we stumbled along toward the hole I saw a guy jump up and take off up the bank with a hudge stringer of fish. So much for our secret spot .

We bobbed down to the hole and just as we got to it ,I stumbled and snapped the tip off my rod.I was drifting down stream kind of kneeing along . As I swept past my friend he grabbed me and in the next second he broke his rod about three guides down .
So there we are stumbling drunk with two broken rods , no fish and a very steep brushy climb straight up ( about a mile)to the only road around.
The guy who was to pick us up was driving the truck up and down he road honking the horn. We finally got to the pickup at about 11 P.M..Pitch blak and thumder stormy.
One of those days you never forget . Neither of us has ever been back to fish Robinson Creek .

We still mention the experience every now and again. Hi Ho id. painter

[snit]

Wow, interesting story. Too much booze can really screw up your judgement. I've heard that's beautiful "big country" down there.

[Space]

Hey, great story about youthful exorbitance. I think there are alot of us out here who can relate to that story in one way or another. Hopefully we have all lived and learned from our younger days. I sure hope this doesn't turn into a drinking while we fish bashing thread. I don't believe in getting drunk while boating or fishing in the manner you described. I have to say that I see nothing wrong with "RESPONSIBLE" adults partaking in the consumption of alchol within the legal limits allowed by the state. I get just as angry as everyone else when I see someone who is definitely over their physical limit creating an unsafe situation. I just don't believe that the whole should suffer because of the few.

SPACE

[Smj]

id, Lived in SLC and used to fish the Henry's Fork and other nearby waters with my dad before I was a driver. We took a drift once on the Fork where a guy in a pick-up put a 12' car topper with oars in the bed and dropped us in a ways below Big Springs, the take-out was Mac's Inn, I guess that was before drift boats hit Montana. I don't remember the fishing being all that great on that stretch of the Henry's Fork, I was only like twelve though.

Once we turned 18 assorted buddies and I would go to MT. 'cause 18 was the drinking age, at 19 you could drink in Idaho and Wyoming, so we went there too after we were 19.

id, had or have you ever been to Dell? At the time Dell consisted of 6 or 7 houses, a mercentile and a bar/hotel/cafe, that was even the name of the place, said so right on the front. At the time in Montana the drinking age was 18, but any age could go in the bars, at least in the smaller towns we went to. AHhh...it was great! Getting to clime up on that bar stool next to my dad and have a Roy Rogers while he sipped a scotch and soda. That is truly Big Sky Country! Red Rock River, Clark Canyon Res, Beaverhead, etc.

Sniffff...

Thanx for the memories!

Smj

[Rakkasan]

Space Fish,

This is an interesting story and it will be interesting to hear the opinions on the subject since drinking is a huge part of my life now and my past. I am not the one to talk because I use to drink hard everywhere I went and with everything I did. I will say that if people decide to have a couple beers or whatever they need to be willing to pay the price and not act like the victim. What makes me laugh are the people who get mad at cops when they get a BUII. Like it is the cops fault the person went out and drank. More power to you if you can drink responsibly. I wish I could. Back in the day you could not have enough booze on the boat for me. We would sink. Plus I liked drinking alone on my boat because no one knew how do drink and do it the right way.

Thanks for the story. That will keep me sober one more day.

[id. painter]

Dell Mt. It has not changed one fraction.
The store owner is still there and sells gas for about 3 bucks a gal. The bar is still there and so is the cafe.
The fish are still awsome at Clark Can.
I got an 8lb. brown there rescently.
Timeless country. Right now Clark Can has a good 3 1/2 feet of ice on it . id. painter

[Smj]

Whoa...I'd sure love to get back there some day soon and see the old Bar/Hotel/Cafe. Man, I can't believe that there aren't a bunch of big houses and every thing that goes with them there these days!

I forgot to mention the "Barrow Pits"

Smj

[cully]

I just call it young and dumb. More power to you, getting a grip on the dumb side of life but in no means do I see a point other than don't drink and be stupid! That is your point correct?

[id. painter]

I did not have a point other than a monent in my life.
It was one of those days that left an big impression in my brain. I only remember it in a blurr. We were young and bullet proof. Full of energy. Last night the friend who took that trip with me called . I told him I had written about the adventure and we both went right back,,, and had a grand laugh.
He remembered it just about the same as I except he remembered me catching a big Brown trout right before I broke my rod. I did remember it once he reminded me . The only strike we had.
No no point ,, just a silly moment in my youth.
I have lots of those stories . Hi ho. id. painter