camdozer
07-20-2015, 09:44 AM
So as I stated earlier on this forum, I've been intending to go ninja fish the lower lake at Hansen Dam for some time now, and I finally got out to do it yesterday. What started as a simple relaxing day in my fold up chair next to the banks of the water, turned into a journey, a quest of personal discovery.
I went down to the waterfront and found an alarming number of fishermen there, especially considering everything I've hears and read about it being illegal. I start walking the wooded path along the water in hopes of finding a more secluded spot. This is a fairly treacherous little path that's only maintained by the footsteps of those who walk it, so it got a little gnarly, and I found several spiders crawling on me along the way. It was kind of awesome and made me feel like I was doing it "the old fashioned way" or something along those lines. Just a dude who stumbled on some water and went hunting for freshwater game in it.
Finally after about a 45 minute hike through the muck and the mire, I find a perfectly secluded little sandy beach with lots of cover for the fish in all directions. I believe it was on the southwest side of the lake, as my GPS was not having fun in the trees and could never seem to give an accurate location. I unfold the chair, crack open the red bull and the snacks and drop bait.
I bought some nightcrawlers, figuring those would be the most universal bait in there since I had heard it's mostly carp and the occasional lmb that live in there. I get some nibbles on my worms every time I cast, but only manage to land two carp, pictured below. I suspect I was being nibbled by little guys because they definitely weren't strong strikes until the two that I managed to bring in. Anyway, around 1 o'clock I decided it was time to go home to the wife.
And then it began, my suburban walkabout. I followed the path I that I was pretty sure got me where I was going, and stumbled upon a creek that I did not see on my way in... I was clearly heading a different direction than I had intended. I look at my map, despite the inaccurate readings on my current location to find said stream and then navigate my way back to the parking lots. I found the stream on the map and felt as though I had gathered the necessary information to reach home. Turns out I had misidentified WHICH stream I was at.
I cross the little brook and head further along a path that I was quite sure would get me home... only the reach the stream again. It was not the same part of the stream, but I knew I shouldn't find that stream again if I was in fact going the direction I should be travelling. I cross the stream again and take a turn at the next opportunity that should lead me home.
The stream again. Now the path is following alongside the stream. I notice horseshoe tracks in the mud and decide to follow those. Surely they must lead to some sort of civilization as my GPS is still saying I am in the middle of the Lower Lake, i.e. actually on a boat out there.
An hours hike and I see my first sign of humanity... a giant power line. I hear the faint humming of cars rolling by. "That must be the 210!" I exclaim to myself. Hope! It was, but the new problem was that I was going UNDER it...
Desperately clinging to my confidence and running out of water, I press on heading East of the freeway. I start to see some horse properties and another bridge ahead. "Please be Foothill Blvd." One more check of the GPS...
Eureka! It's Foothill! I now know where I am, on Foothill Blvd. just south of Conover St.
I am fenced in, and now surely tresspassing. A moment's panic. I reach the fence, throw everything over to the other side (I was careful with the rods lol), and climb. I thought reaching this point was difficult, but the hardest part of my quest had yet to come as I was now out of water and still a great distance from my car.
I walked for what felt like miles, pushing myself one step at a time, forcing myself to recall the voice of my old football coach yelling "Dig deeper, Reed!!!" Finally I arrived back at the intersection of the 210 and Foothill Blvd, knowing I was mere minutes from my car, from salvation.
The car was hot. God damn was it hot. The AC took FOREVER to actually start blowing cold air. Finally, I headed home at about 4:00 p.m. (my initial decision to head back was at about 1:00 p.m. you'll recall), dog tired but spiritually enlightened. I had reached to the deepest parts of my spirit and pulled out the strength to find my own way, to stand on my own two feet. I did not hail any drivers. I did not call for help. I simply marched on.
My wife laughed at me when I told her the story, and said I was a real jackass for not just calling her once I got back to the street. She just doesn't understand what this became in my mind. I was not merely searching for my car. I was searching for myself, and recalling a human strength I had forgotten I possessed.
*******
LOL ok, so back to writing normally, I am an idiot who got lost at a tiny lake HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. In hindsight it was actually a pretty awesome adventure. Also, it was only a 3 hour hike. I'm just reeeeeallllly out of shape! Were the two carp worth it? Probably not, but I don't regret a minute of it!
46631
46632
I went down to the waterfront and found an alarming number of fishermen there, especially considering everything I've hears and read about it being illegal. I start walking the wooded path along the water in hopes of finding a more secluded spot. This is a fairly treacherous little path that's only maintained by the footsteps of those who walk it, so it got a little gnarly, and I found several spiders crawling on me along the way. It was kind of awesome and made me feel like I was doing it "the old fashioned way" or something along those lines. Just a dude who stumbled on some water and went hunting for freshwater game in it.
Finally after about a 45 minute hike through the muck and the mire, I find a perfectly secluded little sandy beach with lots of cover for the fish in all directions. I believe it was on the southwest side of the lake, as my GPS was not having fun in the trees and could never seem to give an accurate location. I unfold the chair, crack open the red bull and the snacks and drop bait.
I bought some nightcrawlers, figuring those would be the most universal bait in there since I had heard it's mostly carp and the occasional lmb that live in there. I get some nibbles on my worms every time I cast, but only manage to land two carp, pictured below. I suspect I was being nibbled by little guys because they definitely weren't strong strikes until the two that I managed to bring in. Anyway, around 1 o'clock I decided it was time to go home to the wife.
And then it began, my suburban walkabout. I followed the path I that I was pretty sure got me where I was going, and stumbled upon a creek that I did not see on my way in... I was clearly heading a different direction than I had intended. I look at my map, despite the inaccurate readings on my current location to find said stream and then navigate my way back to the parking lots. I found the stream on the map and felt as though I had gathered the necessary information to reach home. Turns out I had misidentified WHICH stream I was at.
I cross the little brook and head further along a path that I was quite sure would get me home... only the reach the stream again. It was not the same part of the stream, but I knew I shouldn't find that stream again if I was in fact going the direction I should be travelling. I cross the stream again and take a turn at the next opportunity that should lead me home.
The stream again. Now the path is following alongside the stream. I notice horseshoe tracks in the mud and decide to follow those. Surely they must lead to some sort of civilization as my GPS is still saying I am in the middle of the Lower Lake, i.e. actually on a boat out there.
An hours hike and I see my first sign of humanity... a giant power line. I hear the faint humming of cars rolling by. "That must be the 210!" I exclaim to myself. Hope! It was, but the new problem was that I was going UNDER it...
Desperately clinging to my confidence and running out of water, I press on heading East of the freeway. I start to see some horse properties and another bridge ahead. "Please be Foothill Blvd." One more check of the GPS...
Eureka! It's Foothill! I now know where I am, on Foothill Blvd. just south of Conover St.
I am fenced in, and now surely tresspassing. A moment's panic. I reach the fence, throw everything over to the other side (I was careful with the rods lol), and climb. I thought reaching this point was difficult, but the hardest part of my quest had yet to come as I was now out of water and still a great distance from my car.
I walked for what felt like miles, pushing myself one step at a time, forcing myself to recall the voice of my old football coach yelling "Dig deeper, Reed!!!" Finally I arrived back at the intersection of the 210 and Foothill Blvd, knowing I was mere minutes from my car, from salvation.
The car was hot. God damn was it hot. The AC took FOREVER to actually start blowing cold air. Finally, I headed home at about 4:00 p.m. (my initial decision to head back was at about 1:00 p.m. you'll recall), dog tired but spiritually enlightened. I had reached to the deepest parts of my spirit and pulled out the strength to find my own way, to stand on my own two feet. I did not hail any drivers. I did not call for help. I simply marched on.
My wife laughed at me when I told her the story, and said I was a real jackass for not just calling her once I got back to the street. She just doesn't understand what this became in my mind. I was not merely searching for my car. I was searching for myself, and recalling a human strength I had forgotten I possessed.
*******
LOL ok, so back to writing normally, I am an idiot who got lost at a tiny lake HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. In hindsight it was actually a pretty awesome adventure. Also, it was only a 3 hour hike. I'm just reeeeeallllly out of shape! Were the two carp worth it? Probably not, but I don't regret a minute of it!
46631
46632