Last Thursday I had surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, so I'm Fishing Wounded (which means I'm not fishing, much).
Saturday I'd planned to take an Outdoor Writer friend fishing on Chickamauga Lake, so I asked my friend Sam Simons to go along as First Mate. My friend had to cancel, but me and Sam pressed on anyway. He's the best First Mate I've met... a little Photo Essay of Sam in action:
Sam baits up... allowing the Wounded Warrior (me) to keep my bandage relatively clean.
Gone fishin' before the sun breaks the horizon.
A long lanky, 25 lber. in the boat after multiple missed fish and even one that wrapped around structure, breaking 50 lb. braid. Oww!
Several miscellaneous little fish.
Explored a new spot we'd never fished before and Sam was rewarded with this chunky beast.
I love it when cats that really don't want to be caught, soak you (or Sam) down.
And this is what Sam Simons looks like when you ask for a "picturesque" catfish release... and he suddenly, simultaneously, gets a bite on another rod. 'To heck with pictures!" Going....
Going...."
Gone!
Now... the second fish made for a more "picturesque" release... but I forgot to make him smile (Sam that is... the fish looks real happy to me).
Finally, at the end of a nine hour day, Sam stuck a real quality fish. After a lengthy battle, with the fish at the side of the boat, the Wounded Warrior tried to "grab" the fish left-handed. Bad idea! My wimpy left-hand couldn't stop a 30 or 35 lb. alligator roll... the fish twisted from the grabbers and snapped the line in one smooth motion. It was somewhat picturesque.
"Sam looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and said, "That's why I LOVE livin' here. There's not many places in the world where a 30-pound cat could get away and it would be 'No big deal."
And that's why life is good and gettin' better every day.
Saturday I'd planned to take an Outdoor Writer friend fishing on Chickamauga Lake, so I asked my friend Sam Simons to go along as First Mate. My friend had to cancel, but me and Sam pressed on anyway. He's the best First Mate I've met... a little Photo Essay of Sam in action:
Sam baits up... allowing the Wounded Warrior (me) to keep my bandage relatively clean.
Gone fishin' before the sun breaks the horizon.
A long lanky, 25 lber. in the boat after multiple missed fish and even one that wrapped around structure, breaking 50 lb. braid. Oww!
Several miscellaneous little fish.
Explored a new spot we'd never fished before and Sam was rewarded with this chunky beast.
I love it when cats that really don't want to be caught, soak you (or Sam) down.
And this is what Sam Simons looks like when you ask for a "picturesque" catfish release... and he suddenly, simultaneously, gets a bite on another rod. 'To heck with pictures!" Going....
Going...."
Gone!
Now... the second fish made for a more "picturesque" release... but I forgot to make him smile (Sam that is... the fish looks real happy to me).
Finally, at the end of a nine hour day, Sam stuck a real quality fish. After a lengthy battle, with the fish at the side of the boat, the Wounded Warrior tried to "grab" the fish left-handed. Bad idea! My wimpy left-hand couldn't stop a 30 or 35 lb. alligator roll... the fish twisted from the grabbers and snapped the line in one smooth motion. It was somewhat picturesque.
"Sam looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and said, "That's why I LOVE livin' here. There's not many places in the world where a 30-pound cat could get away and it would be 'No big deal."
And that's why life is good and gettin' better every day.
