The following Public Service Announcement is provided in order to give certain WCFers an opportunity to heap scorn and ridicule on the shoulders of an old man trying to enjoy the great outdoors in the few years he has left.
Decided to brave the heat and high water yesterday to wet a line in one of the less accessible stretches of Salt Creek. Debated on whether to keep on my sandals or switch to Wellingtons. Glad I decided on the later - the woods were literally swamped. Sprayed myself down with anti-tick dope and beat my way through thick underbrush to the creek.
Tied on a 1/12 oz hot pink jig head and a greenish-yellow 2.5" twister tail. The water is still insanely high so I figured it was a "shits & giggles" outing with little hope of productivity. Started by casting upstream & across but the speed of the water made it difficult to get the lure to any depth. So after a while I moved downstream and cast into a backwater eddy. After a dozen or so casts my lure was hammered by a giant LMB - at least 4" long. It fought like the dickens for at least 15 seconds - what a battle! Took me a while to unhook it but I had my trusty, crappy, old camera hanging around my neck and had time to click off one shot - didn't want to waste any time getting this beauty back in the river.
A half hour or so later the heat started to get the better of me and I felt a low sugar episode - the bane of diabetics - coming on. Probably the worst one I've had in years. So I got into the shade, leaned my withered old ass up against a tree, dug out my emergency supply of sugar pills, took one and fought off passing out.
I thought about the newspaper headlines - "Old man found dead fishing along Salt Creek. Cook County Forest Preserve Police uncertain as to cause of death, also uncertain if he was really fishing there being no evidence he ever caught a fish. Cook County Forest Preserve Police also uncertain of exactly what the fuck it is they do for a living. Details to follow". Then I thought about how it would appear on WCF. Someone would find the news report and post it saying, "Gee I wonder if that was Rambler". Then it would come out that they found a picture of a fish on my camera and you'd all figure that it was some other poor shit. The things that come to mind when you're losing consciousness.
Once the sugar pill took effect I figured the universe was telling me it was time to go. On the way back to the car I came upon a wonderful little cluster of sharp-lobed Hepatica.
So the good news is I'm still kicking. Even better news is you still get to give me shit. :lol:
Decided to brave the heat and high water yesterday to wet a line in one of the less accessible stretches of Salt Creek. Debated on whether to keep on my sandals or switch to Wellingtons. Glad I decided on the later - the woods were literally swamped. Sprayed myself down with anti-tick dope and beat my way through thick underbrush to the creek.
Tied on a 1/12 oz hot pink jig head and a greenish-yellow 2.5" twister tail. The water is still insanely high so I figured it was a "shits & giggles" outing with little hope of productivity. Started by casting upstream & across but the speed of the water made it difficult to get the lure to any depth. So after a while I moved downstream and cast into a backwater eddy. After a dozen or so casts my lure was hammered by a giant LMB - at least 4" long. It fought like the dickens for at least 15 seconds - what a battle! Took me a while to unhook it but I had my trusty, crappy, old camera hanging around my neck and had time to click off one shot - didn't want to waste any time getting this beauty back in the river.
A half hour or so later the heat started to get the better of me and I felt a low sugar episode - the bane of diabetics - coming on. Probably the worst one I've had in years. So I got into the shade, leaned my withered old ass up against a tree, dug out my emergency supply of sugar pills, took one and fought off passing out.
I thought about the newspaper headlines - "Old man found dead fishing along Salt Creek. Cook County Forest Preserve Police uncertain as to cause of death, also uncertain if he was really fishing there being no evidence he ever caught a fish. Cook County Forest Preserve Police also uncertain of exactly what the fuck it is they do for a living. Details to follow". Then I thought about how it would appear on WCF. Someone would find the news report and post it saying, "Gee I wonder if that was Rambler". Then it would come out that they found a picture of a fish on my camera and you'd all figure that it was some other poor shit. The things that come to mind when you're losing consciousness.
Once the sugar pill took effect I figured the universe was telling me it was time to go. On the way back to the car I came upon a wonderful little cluster of sharp-lobed Hepatica.
So the good news is I'm still kicking. Even better news is you still get to give me shit. :lol: