03-02-2003, 01:39 PM
[pirate]
An Unforgettable Day
It was a summer of recovery. It was the summer of 1999, and a short few months before, I had nearly died when my kidney?s shut down. From April, until May, I laid in a hospital bed, wondering if I was ever going to be able to do the things I liked ever again. I thought about my family, and the things we enjoyed doing together, and the fact that I might never be able to do them again. The things I would miss, and the limitations I would have to accept, and the dialysis treatments I would have to endure and become partners with, if I was going to keep on living. It was a wake-up call to the future, and at that moment in time, it didn?t look very bright, but I was a fighter. I was not ready to give up, and with my family?s support and love, I didn?t.
The first couple of weeks after I came home from the hospital, I was very weak. When you are a big guy, lying in bed for four weeks tends to turn your leg muscles into mush. I had all I could do to go up and down the stairs to our second floor apartment, and catching a ride to dialysis 3 times a week. My wife saw how I was feeling and the fact that I was getting frustrated and down on myself. She soon took it upon herself to help me out, by getting me out of the house and going for rides and short walks. Walking any length of distance soon tired me out, but each day we stretched it out a little further. One of the things that I had a lot of time to think about was when and if I?d be able to go fishing again. It had become my favorite hobby, and I hadn?t had a chance to enjoy it yet that season. I had seen all the fishing shows, and was reading all the fishing books, but yet hadn?t cast a single line, except in my mind. That was all about to change.
One beautiful sunny, early summer Maine morning in June, my wife woke me up with a hot cup of coffee. She looked at me and said, ? honey, you don?t have dialysis today, and it?s so nice out, why don?t we go for a ride?. I looked at her and said sure, where to? She looked at me and said, ? Get dressed and make sure you?re comfortable, it?s going to be warm outside today?. With orders like that, who was I to say no, so I did.
We went downstairs to the car and we were off. It was a gorgeous day, temperature around 70, light southerly breezes, and my wife by my side. As my honey drove, I could see that we were heading down toward the Maine coast. We both loved it there. Both of us originally being from the south shore of Connecticut, the salt water called out our names. Eventually we made our way to Pemaquid, in South Bristol, Maine, one of my favorite places on the coast. As she parked the car by the Colonial Pemaquid Tavern, I looked at her and said, ?how come we are stopping here?? She looked at me with her beautiful hazel eyes and said, ? it?s time for you to get out and start have fun again. Time to go fishing ?! I looked at her, and as if she read my mind, she looked at me and told me she had packed my fishing gear into the car before I woke up that morning. The look on my face told the whole story, my wife had thought of everything.
We exited the car, and she helped me grab my stuff, and down onto the docks we went. While I set up my rod, she set up her chair and her crochette work, and began crocheting. The tide was about an hour before high tide, and the sunshine felt great on my body. I was outside where I enjoyed being the most; with the person I loved more than anything else. Over the course of the next 3 to 4 hours, I caught several mackerel, some tinker size, a few jack size, but most importantly just enjoying the time there with my honey.
Over the rest of the summer, that day was repeated often, my wife and I, exploring the Maine coast, and different fishing spots. She really didn?t fish too often herself, but her plan wasn?t just to go fishing, but to get me outside and build my strength up again, and to get me to the point where I could drive again and be able to go out on my own without her worrying about me. One of the many reasons I love that woman.
Towards the end of the summer, I was going fishing 3 to 4 times a week, whether it was down to the coast, or just down the street to the Town of Gardiner Landing, on the Kennebec River. On the 3rd weekend in August, hurricane Floyd was starting to tear up the Atlantic coast. On a Friday afternoon, a few hours after dialysis that day, I decided to head down to Pemaquid, to fish off of the docks behind the Tavern. I was there from 3:00pm to almost 8:00pm. Not a single bite, but the view and the setting sun were beautiful. Just before I packed up and left, the water all around the docks started boiling over. What a sight to behold. Minnows, or shiners, depending upon what you wanted to call them, were steaming into the bay by the hundreds of thousands. As far as I could see, the water was boiling. I decided right then and there, that I was coming back to that spot, very first thing in the morning. All the way home that was all I could think about. I had a feeling, and I was going to play it out.
When I arrived home, my wife?s girlfriend was just leaving. After she left, I told my wife about what I had seen by the docks. I then looked at her and said, ?How would you like to do something out of the ordinary, something different and spontaneous?. She looked at me and asked what, and I said, ? how about we get up before sunrise tomorrow and head back down to Pemaquid. I have a feeling and I want to give it a shot, and I?d like you to be by my side?. She looked at me and told me that I must be crazy, but she was game to give it a shot. The plan had been made; all that remained was to put it into action.
The following morning we were up at 4:00am. We both got ready and off we went, stopping at Cumberland Farms for coffee along the way. The ride took about 40 minutes, but felt more like 20. Anticipation was high, and I had my best friend with me, how could I go wrong. We arrived there, and the sun was just starting to show its rays over the bay. The morning fog glistened in the early dawn. As we settled onto the dock, I set my rod up. Looking over the water, I could see that it was still boiling over with minnows. My wife was amazed with what she saw. She couldn?t believe it, they were everywhere, practically jumping out of the water. Something was chasing them, and it was definitely bigger than they were.
I had no sooner made my first cast into the water, through the fog than something bit my lure and started to peel off some line. The drag was set on the light side since I was mainly fishing for mackerel, but I knew that there was always the possibility of something bigger, Stripers or even a Bluefish. The battle was short, but enjoyable. It was a good size mackerel, about 14 inches long. As I took him off the hook and put him in my bucket, I made another cast. Again, my lure drew a bite and we were off again. From the time we got there, to approximately 8:30 am, I caught 13 mackerel of all sizes, the biggest one being almost 15 inches and about 1-½ lbs.
Around 8:30 am, the bite had started to trickle off, and both my wife and I decided to pack up and go for a ride and explore the coast. After I emptied the bucket into my cooler in the car, we were off to explore, as well as to find a place to answer nature?s call. Over the course of the next few hours, we slowly made our way down along the coast, finding ourselves near Popham Beach and Fort Popham. We parked the car near the Fort, and ventured down toward the rocky ledge. The sky was overcast, with some nearby fog, and the tide was heading out, approaching low tide. The fishing gear was in the car, as I didn?t think there would be much going on at this point. I was so wrong.
Down below on the rocks, there were several people fishing. Some with fly rods, some with spinning and bait caster outfits. I looked at my wife and asked her if she minded if I got my gear and tried my luck again. Her answer was yes, but she also reminded me to be careful on the rocks due to the medications I was on. We settled onto a set of rocks and sat down together. Almost immediately, I started getting bites. The minnows were just as thick here as they were before. They were practically jumping onto the rocks. The water was full of minnows, and mackerel, and lo and behold there were Stripers and Bluefish too. They were everywhere! There was a young, blonde haired girl, sitting on the rocks with her mother, while her father fished down below. Every time any of us caught a fish, she shouted with glee. As my bucket started to fill with mackerel, their tales kept slapping the sides of the bucket, causing the young girl to get more excited. My wife was captured by the young girl?s happiness, as well, as my having such a great time. By the time we left there, an hour and a half later, I had added another 15 mackerel to my catch for the day, as well as a 23½-inch Striper. It was a day in fisherman?s heaven, and my best day of fishing that whole season.
It was a season of fishing, made possible by my wife, who is my best friend. And it was a day that was made unforgettable by the same person.
Sincerely,
JollyRogerTcbo1
"The Striper Maine-iac"
[pirate]
[signature]
An Unforgettable Day
It was a summer of recovery. It was the summer of 1999, and a short few months before, I had nearly died when my kidney?s shut down. From April, until May, I laid in a hospital bed, wondering if I was ever going to be able to do the things I liked ever again. I thought about my family, and the things we enjoyed doing together, and the fact that I might never be able to do them again. The things I would miss, and the limitations I would have to accept, and the dialysis treatments I would have to endure and become partners with, if I was going to keep on living. It was a wake-up call to the future, and at that moment in time, it didn?t look very bright, but I was a fighter. I was not ready to give up, and with my family?s support and love, I didn?t.
The first couple of weeks after I came home from the hospital, I was very weak. When you are a big guy, lying in bed for four weeks tends to turn your leg muscles into mush. I had all I could do to go up and down the stairs to our second floor apartment, and catching a ride to dialysis 3 times a week. My wife saw how I was feeling and the fact that I was getting frustrated and down on myself. She soon took it upon herself to help me out, by getting me out of the house and going for rides and short walks. Walking any length of distance soon tired me out, but each day we stretched it out a little further. One of the things that I had a lot of time to think about was when and if I?d be able to go fishing again. It had become my favorite hobby, and I hadn?t had a chance to enjoy it yet that season. I had seen all the fishing shows, and was reading all the fishing books, but yet hadn?t cast a single line, except in my mind. That was all about to change.
One beautiful sunny, early summer Maine morning in June, my wife woke me up with a hot cup of coffee. She looked at me and said, ? honey, you don?t have dialysis today, and it?s so nice out, why don?t we go for a ride?. I looked at her and said sure, where to? She looked at me and said, ? Get dressed and make sure you?re comfortable, it?s going to be warm outside today?. With orders like that, who was I to say no, so I did.
We went downstairs to the car and we were off. It was a gorgeous day, temperature around 70, light southerly breezes, and my wife by my side. As my honey drove, I could see that we were heading down toward the Maine coast. We both loved it there. Both of us originally being from the south shore of Connecticut, the salt water called out our names. Eventually we made our way to Pemaquid, in South Bristol, Maine, one of my favorite places on the coast. As she parked the car by the Colonial Pemaquid Tavern, I looked at her and said, ?how come we are stopping here?? She looked at me with her beautiful hazel eyes and said, ? it?s time for you to get out and start have fun again. Time to go fishing ?! I looked at her, and as if she read my mind, she looked at me and told me she had packed my fishing gear into the car before I woke up that morning. The look on my face told the whole story, my wife had thought of everything.
We exited the car, and she helped me grab my stuff, and down onto the docks we went. While I set up my rod, she set up her chair and her crochette work, and began crocheting. The tide was about an hour before high tide, and the sunshine felt great on my body. I was outside where I enjoyed being the most; with the person I loved more than anything else. Over the course of the next 3 to 4 hours, I caught several mackerel, some tinker size, a few jack size, but most importantly just enjoying the time there with my honey.
Over the rest of the summer, that day was repeated often, my wife and I, exploring the Maine coast, and different fishing spots. She really didn?t fish too often herself, but her plan wasn?t just to go fishing, but to get me outside and build my strength up again, and to get me to the point where I could drive again and be able to go out on my own without her worrying about me. One of the many reasons I love that woman.
Towards the end of the summer, I was going fishing 3 to 4 times a week, whether it was down to the coast, or just down the street to the Town of Gardiner Landing, on the Kennebec River. On the 3rd weekend in August, hurricane Floyd was starting to tear up the Atlantic coast. On a Friday afternoon, a few hours after dialysis that day, I decided to head down to Pemaquid, to fish off of the docks behind the Tavern. I was there from 3:00pm to almost 8:00pm. Not a single bite, but the view and the setting sun were beautiful. Just before I packed up and left, the water all around the docks started boiling over. What a sight to behold. Minnows, or shiners, depending upon what you wanted to call them, were steaming into the bay by the hundreds of thousands. As far as I could see, the water was boiling. I decided right then and there, that I was coming back to that spot, very first thing in the morning. All the way home that was all I could think about. I had a feeling, and I was going to play it out.
When I arrived home, my wife?s girlfriend was just leaving. After she left, I told my wife about what I had seen by the docks. I then looked at her and said, ?How would you like to do something out of the ordinary, something different and spontaneous?. She looked at me and asked what, and I said, ? how about we get up before sunrise tomorrow and head back down to Pemaquid. I have a feeling and I want to give it a shot, and I?d like you to be by my side?. She looked at me and told me that I must be crazy, but she was game to give it a shot. The plan had been made; all that remained was to put it into action.
The following morning we were up at 4:00am. We both got ready and off we went, stopping at Cumberland Farms for coffee along the way. The ride took about 40 minutes, but felt more like 20. Anticipation was high, and I had my best friend with me, how could I go wrong. We arrived there, and the sun was just starting to show its rays over the bay. The morning fog glistened in the early dawn. As we settled onto the dock, I set my rod up. Looking over the water, I could see that it was still boiling over with minnows. My wife was amazed with what she saw. She couldn?t believe it, they were everywhere, practically jumping out of the water. Something was chasing them, and it was definitely bigger than they were.
I had no sooner made my first cast into the water, through the fog than something bit my lure and started to peel off some line. The drag was set on the light side since I was mainly fishing for mackerel, but I knew that there was always the possibility of something bigger, Stripers or even a Bluefish. The battle was short, but enjoyable. It was a good size mackerel, about 14 inches long. As I took him off the hook and put him in my bucket, I made another cast. Again, my lure drew a bite and we were off again. From the time we got there, to approximately 8:30 am, I caught 13 mackerel of all sizes, the biggest one being almost 15 inches and about 1-½ lbs.
Around 8:30 am, the bite had started to trickle off, and both my wife and I decided to pack up and go for a ride and explore the coast. After I emptied the bucket into my cooler in the car, we were off to explore, as well as to find a place to answer nature?s call. Over the course of the next few hours, we slowly made our way down along the coast, finding ourselves near Popham Beach and Fort Popham. We parked the car near the Fort, and ventured down toward the rocky ledge. The sky was overcast, with some nearby fog, and the tide was heading out, approaching low tide. The fishing gear was in the car, as I didn?t think there would be much going on at this point. I was so wrong.
Down below on the rocks, there were several people fishing. Some with fly rods, some with spinning and bait caster outfits. I looked at my wife and asked her if she minded if I got my gear and tried my luck again. Her answer was yes, but she also reminded me to be careful on the rocks due to the medications I was on. We settled onto a set of rocks and sat down together. Almost immediately, I started getting bites. The minnows were just as thick here as they were before. They were practically jumping onto the rocks. The water was full of minnows, and mackerel, and lo and behold there were Stripers and Bluefish too. They were everywhere! There was a young, blonde haired girl, sitting on the rocks with her mother, while her father fished down below. Every time any of us caught a fish, she shouted with glee. As my bucket started to fill with mackerel, their tales kept slapping the sides of the bucket, causing the young girl to get more excited. My wife was captured by the young girl?s happiness, as well, as my having such a great time. By the time we left there, an hour and a half later, I had added another 15 mackerel to my catch for the day, as well as a 23½-inch Striper. It was a day in fisherman?s heaven, and my best day of fishing that whole season.
It was a season of fishing, made possible by my wife, who is my best friend. And it was a day that was made unforgettable by the same person.
Sincerely,
JollyRogerTcbo1
"The Striper Maine-iac"
[pirate]
[signature]
