flytyingreloader
07-01-2011, 11:07 PM
WAY overslept today, didn't hit the road to Lake Isabella until almost 2 P.M. While enroute I mentioned to the misbehaving boat how easy it would be to place a Craigslist ad and be rid of her fickle attitude & demeanor. This must have sunk in, because once I got the engine lowered at launch, I hit the ignition and da-da-da-VOOM, off it went. Good boat. Gotta love fuel stabilizer--Yamaha 4-strokes--and a fully charged battery (this trip). 7-1/2 month lay-off, and things went GREAT.
The wind was freshening up at launch, but I didn't care--all the medical issues since April have kept me off the water, and I was GOING FISHING--come H--l or high water. My wife came along to add much-needed class and beauty to the trip, and it was a GAS to have the boat out and running so well.
We pretty much just ran the boat for an hour or so, and the whitecaps built into small rollers as we headed up toward North Fork. The isabella Sub-Compact Ocean Windwave Act commenced, and that got old for Mrs. FTRL post haste. Reverse course, and head for calmer waters. While enroute back toward the public ramp adjacent to the main dam, we got thoroughly spray soaked. This felt fine in the warm weather, I must say.
Once in calmer waters, I began trolling a rainbow-trout pattern Thomas Bouyant along the "bay" served by the public ramp. I ran about 50-75 yards off the east side of this "bay", and got a healthy BUMP about 10 minutes into the troll. No weight, flatlined at about 2 kt. Another 20 minutes of this yielded a nice, full-tailed 14" rainbow trout, which was CPR'd. The Striped Cat sunk out, we stayed at it for another hour or so, then hauled the boat in and headed for the Cowgirl Cafe.
Great day.
The wind was freshening up at launch, but I didn't care--all the medical issues since April have kept me off the water, and I was GOING FISHING--come H--l or high water. My wife came along to add much-needed class and beauty to the trip, and it was a GAS to have the boat out and running so well.
We pretty much just ran the boat for an hour or so, and the whitecaps built into small rollers as we headed up toward North Fork. The isabella Sub-Compact Ocean Windwave Act commenced, and that got old for Mrs. FTRL post haste. Reverse course, and head for calmer waters. While enroute back toward the public ramp adjacent to the main dam, we got thoroughly spray soaked. This felt fine in the warm weather, I must say.
Once in calmer waters, I began trolling a rainbow-trout pattern Thomas Bouyant along the "bay" served by the public ramp. I ran about 50-75 yards off the east side of this "bay", and got a healthy BUMP about 10 minutes into the troll. No weight, flatlined at about 2 kt. Another 20 minutes of this yielded a nice, full-tailed 14" rainbow trout, which was CPR'd. The Striped Cat sunk out, we stayed at it for another hour or so, then hauled the boat in and headed for the Cowgirl Cafe.
Great day.