07-08-2003, 03:30 AM
WELL THURSDAY AFTER WORK , HEADED HOME FOR A MUCH NEEDED SHOWER , THEN HOOKED UP THE CAMPER AND HIT THE ROAD . I HAD THE WIFE'S DIRECTIONS TO THE CAMPSITE , NO PROBLEM , RIGHT ! LOL !
TAKE THIS HIGHWAY TO THIS HIGHWAY , COOL ! GET TO THIS INTERCHANGE AND GO WEST .
WEST ? WHY WEST ? THE AU SABLE IS EAST ! I BETTER CHECK THE MAP .
DAG-NAB-IT ! THE PRINT IS TOO DARN SMALL TO READ ! ( YEA , AGE IS CREAPING UP FAST )
WELL I'LL FOLLOW HER DIRECTIONS ANYWAY . WEST IT IS . FOLLOW THAT HIWAY TO A ???????? GAS STATION ON THE LEFT ? ONLY A COUPLE MILES OUTTA TOWN PAST A LAKE ?
WHAT LAKE ? I HAVEN'T SEEN A LAKE IN OVER FIFTEY MILES AFTER TOWN !
BRING OUT THE ILLIGIBLE SMALL PRINT MAP , OH , SHE FORGOT TO MENTION THAT TURN BACK THERE !
BACKTRACK , MAKE THE TURN , THERES THE LAKE , THERES THE BRIDGE , TURN AT GOOSE CREEK . O.K.
THERES THE TWO ROADS WITH ONLY THE SAME BASIC NAMES , GOOSE CREAK ROAD TO UPPER MANISTEE CAMPGROUNDS , AND UPPER MANISTEE ROAD TO GOOSE CREEK CAMPGROUNDS . NOW WHAT DO I DO ?
USING ALL MY MANLEY POWERS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE LITTLE LADY'S THOUGHT PROCESS AS TO WHICH ROAD SHE MENT I HAD TO RELY ON THE MOST LOGICAL OF ALL DECISION MAKERS , I REACHED IN MY POCKET FOR A COIN TO FLIP . IT WORKED .
I PARKED OUTSIDE THE CAMPGROUNDS TO FIND OUT WHERE MY SITE WOULD BE AT . THERE FIRST WOUDS WERE , DID YOU GET OUR MESSAGE ? WE FORGOT TO RESERVE A SITE , IT'S FULL , BUT A GUY IS LEAVING TOMOROW .
WHY ME DEAR LORD , WHY ME ?
THE RADIO ANNOUNCED ALL CAMPGROUNDS WERE FULL ON THE WAY UP , THIS WAS NOT THE AU SABLE RIVER , IT WAS THE MANISTEE . I DROVE A HUNDRED EXTRA MILES TO GET HERE IN HOLIDAY TRAFFIC , AND THERE WAS NOWHERE ELSE TO GO BUT BACK HOME AND WAIT FOR FRIDAY . I DID JUST THAT . DODGING TURKEYS , DEER , AND THE OCCASIONAL TOURIST THAT DIDN'T KNOW WHAT A STOP SIGN MENT ALL THE WAY HOME .
I MADE THE RETURN TRIP THE NEXT MORNING , MINUS THE DETOURS , WAITED AN HOUR FOR SOMEONE TO LEAVE , AND SET UP CAMP . TIME TO FISH . OUT CAME THE FLY ROD SOME BOOTS AND THE VEST . I WAS ON MY WAY . EACH AND EVERY CAMPSITE I WALKED BY I WAS GREETED BY ANOTHER FLY FISHERMAN , EVERY CAMPSITE ! I WAS INTRODUCED TO THEM , WAS GIVEN ADVISE , SPOTS IN THE RIVER FOR THE BEST DAY TIME FISHING , NIGHT TIME FISHING , AND A FEW DIFFERENT FLYS TO TRY OUT THAT THEY HAD JUST MADE . AND A REQUEST TO MAKE A RETURN VISIT TO THERE CAMPSITE AT MY OWN LEISURE . I THOUGHT I WAS DREAMING , MAYBE I HAD AN ACCIDENT AND WAS IN DREAMLAND . NOT THE CASE . THIS WAS REAL .
I FISHED QUITE A WHILE , MY ONLY DISTRACTIONS ON THE RIVER WAS A FAMILY OF DUCKS AND THE OCCASIONAL BIKINI CLAD TUBERS FLOATING DOWN THE RIVER[
] , AROUND 6 P.M. I FELT HUNGRY , AND HEADED BACK TO CAMP , PAST EACH SITE , CAME THE WORDS , HAVE A HOT DOG , HAVE A BURGER , HAVE SOME STEAK , HAVE SOME CHICKEN . HOW DID YOU DO , DID THAT FLY WORK ? I WAS FULL BY THE TIME I HIT OUR SITE , I NEEDED A REST BEFORE HEADING BACK OUT .
FOR THREE DAYS THIS WENT ON , MEETING NEW PEOPLE( I SHOULD SAY "FRIENDS" , FISHING DOSENS OF MILES OF PRISTEEN CLASS 2 TROUT STREAM , NEW FLYS TO TRY , MORE FOOD TO EAT , MORE CONVERSATION TO HAVE AND MORE BIKINIES AS WELL .
THREE DAYS OF ABSOLUTE FLY FISHING PARADISE , AT A STATE CAMPGROUND SITE . YOU COULDN'T BUY A BETTER FISHING TRIP AT ANY PRICE . ALL THE FISH WERE BROWNS AND BROOKIES ALL BETWEEN 6" AND 15 " , WELL THAT IS UP UNTILL JUST BEFORE WE LEFT . I WENT BACK TO A DEEP HOLE I HAD FISHED ON SATURDAY . SOMETHING DOWN THERE HAD TAKEN THREE OF MY NEW FLYS AND SNAPPED MY LEAD LINES LIKE THEY WERE NOTHING , I THOUGHT IT WAS A BIG OLD BROWN DOWN IN THOES LOGS , I WAS WRONG !
I PUT A 3-1/2 ' LENGTH OF SPIDERWIRE , THEN ONE OF THE NEW GIFT DEERHAIR FLIES , AND A 1/32 OZ. SPLITSHOT TO GET IT DOWN CLOSER TO THE BOTTOM OF THE HOLE . I CASTED ABOUT TWENTY FEET ABOVE THE HOLE TO LET IT SINK BELOW THE BRANCHES . FIRST TIME , I GOT A BUMP , SECOND TRY , MY ROD JERCKED DOWN SO HARD I ALMOST LOST MY GRIP ON IT , I PULLED BACK AND THE BATTLE WAS ON .
NOW , THE STREAM IS ABOUT TWENTY FIVE FEET WIDE , LOGS , BRANCHES , BOTTOM WEEDS , DEBTHS OF ANYWHERE FROM A COUPLE INCHES TO WAY OVER MY HEAD , THIS FISH MADE SURE I GOT THE FULL TOUR . UP STREAM AND DOWN . THE ONE FLASH OF COLOR I SAW ,AND BY IT'S SIZE I WAS SURE IT WAS A BIG OLD RAINBOW THAT I HAD HEARD STORIES ABOUT BACK AT CAMP . I HAD HIM , I WAS GONNA BECOME A LEGEND .
FOR A LONG TIME I WASN'T SURE WHO WAS GONNA WIN , MOST THE TIME I THOUGHT HE WAS , THEN ME , THEN HIM AGAIN , FINALLY , HE JUST GAVE UP AND SLOWLEY CAME IN . MY NET WASN'T BIG ENOUGH FOR HIM . I JUST HAD TO SLOWLEY SLIDE MY HAND UNDER HIM AND PICK HIM UP BEFORE HE STARTED THRASHING AROUND ( AT THAT POINT I DROPED MY ROD AND HELD ON WITH BOTH HANDS , HE HAD A LOT OF MUSSEL POWER LEFT IN HIM ) I'M GUESSING THE WHOLE EVENT TOOK CLOSE TO A BETTER PART OF A HALF HOUR OR SO .
HE WASEN'T A BIG BROWN , NOR A RAINBOW ( THERE WENT MY HOPEFULL TITLE ) NOR SOME MONSTER BROOKIE , JUST A BIG OLD STEELHEAD . LAST FISH OF THE TRIP AND THE BIGGEST . YOU COULDN'T WISH FOR A BETTER WAY TO END THE WEEKEND .
NEXT YEARS TROUT OPENER , YOU CAN BET YOUR LAST PENNY ON WHERE YOUR GONNA FIND ME . THIS IS THE BEST SPOT BY FAR I HAVE EVER HAD THE PRIVLIGE TO WET A LINE AT . HEAVEN ON EARTH , THATS THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE IT , HEAVEN ON EARTH .
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TAKE THIS HIGHWAY TO THIS HIGHWAY , COOL ! GET TO THIS INTERCHANGE AND GO WEST .
WEST ? WHY WEST ? THE AU SABLE IS EAST ! I BETTER CHECK THE MAP .
DAG-NAB-IT ! THE PRINT IS TOO DARN SMALL TO READ ! ( YEA , AGE IS CREAPING UP FAST )
WELL I'LL FOLLOW HER DIRECTIONS ANYWAY . WEST IT IS . FOLLOW THAT HIWAY TO A ???????? GAS STATION ON THE LEFT ? ONLY A COUPLE MILES OUTTA TOWN PAST A LAKE ?
WHAT LAKE ? I HAVEN'T SEEN A LAKE IN OVER FIFTEY MILES AFTER TOWN !
BRING OUT THE ILLIGIBLE SMALL PRINT MAP , OH , SHE FORGOT TO MENTION THAT TURN BACK THERE !
BACKTRACK , MAKE THE TURN , THERES THE LAKE , THERES THE BRIDGE , TURN AT GOOSE CREEK . O.K.
THERES THE TWO ROADS WITH ONLY THE SAME BASIC NAMES , GOOSE CREAK ROAD TO UPPER MANISTEE CAMPGROUNDS , AND UPPER MANISTEE ROAD TO GOOSE CREEK CAMPGROUNDS . NOW WHAT DO I DO ?
USING ALL MY MANLEY POWERS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE LITTLE LADY'S THOUGHT PROCESS AS TO WHICH ROAD SHE MENT I HAD TO RELY ON THE MOST LOGICAL OF ALL DECISION MAKERS , I REACHED IN MY POCKET FOR A COIN TO FLIP . IT WORKED .
I PARKED OUTSIDE THE CAMPGROUNDS TO FIND OUT WHERE MY SITE WOULD BE AT . THERE FIRST WOUDS WERE , DID YOU GET OUR MESSAGE ? WE FORGOT TO RESERVE A SITE , IT'S FULL , BUT A GUY IS LEAVING TOMOROW .
WHY ME DEAR LORD , WHY ME ?
THE RADIO ANNOUNCED ALL CAMPGROUNDS WERE FULL ON THE WAY UP , THIS WAS NOT THE AU SABLE RIVER , IT WAS THE MANISTEE . I DROVE A HUNDRED EXTRA MILES TO GET HERE IN HOLIDAY TRAFFIC , AND THERE WAS NOWHERE ELSE TO GO BUT BACK HOME AND WAIT FOR FRIDAY . I DID JUST THAT . DODGING TURKEYS , DEER , AND THE OCCASIONAL TOURIST THAT DIDN'T KNOW WHAT A STOP SIGN MENT ALL THE WAY HOME .
I MADE THE RETURN TRIP THE NEXT MORNING , MINUS THE DETOURS , WAITED AN HOUR FOR SOMEONE TO LEAVE , AND SET UP CAMP . TIME TO FISH . OUT CAME THE FLY ROD SOME BOOTS AND THE VEST . I WAS ON MY WAY . EACH AND EVERY CAMPSITE I WALKED BY I WAS GREETED BY ANOTHER FLY FISHERMAN , EVERY CAMPSITE ! I WAS INTRODUCED TO THEM , WAS GIVEN ADVISE , SPOTS IN THE RIVER FOR THE BEST DAY TIME FISHING , NIGHT TIME FISHING , AND A FEW DIFFERENT FLYS TO TRY OUT THAT THEY HAD JUST MADE . AND A REQUEST TO MAKE A RETURN VISIT TO THERE CAMPSITE AT MY OWN LEISURE . I THOUGHT I WAS DREAMING , MAYBE I HAD AN ACCIDENT AND WAS IN DREAMLAND . NOT THE CASE . THIS WAS REAL .
I FISHED QUITE A WHILE , MY ONLY DISTRACTIONS ON THE RIVER WAS A FAMILY OF DUCKS AND THE OCCASIONAL BIKINI CLAD TUBERS FLOATING DOWN THE RIVER[
] , AROUND 6 P.M. I FELT HUNGRY , AND HEADED BACK TO CAMP , PAST EACH SITE , CAME THE WORDS , HAVE A HOT DOG , HAVE A BURGER , HAVE SOME STEAK , HAVE SOME CHICKEN . HOW DID YOU DO , DID THAT FLY WORK ? I WAS FULL BY THE TIME I HIT OUR SITE , I NEEDED A REST BEFORE HEADING BACK OUT . FOR THREE DAYS THIS WENT ON , MEETING NEW PEOPLE( I SHOULD SAY "FRIENDS" , FISHING DOSENS OF MILES OF PRISTEEN CLASS 2 TROUT STREAM , NEW FLYS TO TRY , MORE FOOD TO EAT , MORE CONVERSATION TO HAVE AND MORE BIKINIES AS WELL .
THREE DAYS OF ABSOLUTE FLY FISHING PARADISE , AT A STATE CAMPGROUND SITE . YOU COULDN'T BUY A BETTER FISHING TRIP AT ANY PRICE . ALL THE FISH WERE BROWNS AND BROOKIES ALL BETWEEN 6" AND 15 " , WELL THAT IS UP UNTILL JUST BEFORE WE LEFT . I WENT BACK TO A DEEP HOLE I HAD FISHED ON SATURDAY . SOMETHING DOWN THERE HAD TAKEN THREE OF MY NEW FLYS AND SNAPPED MY LEAD LINES LIKE THEY WERE NOTHING , I THOUGHT IT WAS A BIG OLD BROWN DOWN IN THOES LOGS , I WAS WRONG !
I PUT A 3-1/2 ' LENGTH OF SPIDERWIRE , THEN ONE OF THE NEW GIFT DEERHAIR FLIES , AND A 1/32 OZ. SPLITSHOT TO GET IT DOWN CLOSER TO THE BOTTOM OF THE HOLE . I CASTED ABOUT TWENTY FEET ABOVE THE HOLE TO LET IT SINK BELOW THE BRANCHES . FIRST TIME , I GOT A BUMP , SECOND TRY , MY ROD JERCKED DOWN SO HARD I ALMOST LOST MY GRIP ON IT , I PULLED BACK AND THE BATTLE WAS ON .
NOW , THE STREAM IS ABOUT TWENTY FIVE FEET WIDE , LOGS , BRANCHES , BOTTOM WEEDS , DEBTHS OF ANYWHERE FROM A COUPLE INCHES TO WAY OVER MY HEAD , THIS FISH MADE SURE I GOT THE FULL TOUR . UP STREAM AND DOWN . THE ONE FLASH OF COLOR I SAW ,AND BY IT'S SIZE I WAS SURE IT WAS A BIG OLD RAINBOW THAT I HAD HEARD STORIES ABOUT BACK AT CAMP . I HAD HIM , I WAS GONNA BECOME A LEGEND .
FOR A LONG TIME I WASN'T SURE WHO WAS GONNA WIN , MOST THE TIME I THOUGHT HE WAS , THEN ME , THEN HIM AGAIN , FINALLY , HE JUST GAVE UP AND SLOWLEY CAME IN . MY NET WASN'T BIG ENOUGH FOR HIM . I JUST HAD TO SLOWLEY SLIDE MY HAND UNDER HIM AND PICK HIM UP BEFORE HE STARTED THRASHING AROUND ( AT THAT POINT I DROPED MY ROD AND HELD ON WITH BOTH HANDS , HE HAD A LOT OF MUSSEL POWER LEFT IN HIM ) I'M GUESSING THE WHOLE EVENT TOOK CLOSE TO A BETTER PART OF A HALF HOUR OR SO .
HE WASEN'T A BIG BROWN , NOR A RAINBOW ( THERE WENT MY HOPEFULL TITLE ) NOR SOME MONSTER BROOKIE , JUST A BIG OLD STEELHEAD . LAST FISH OF THE TRIP AND THE BIGGEST . YOU COULDN'T WISH FOR A BETTER WAY TO END THE WEEKEND .
NEXT YEARS TROUT OPENER , YOU CAN BET YOUR LAST PENNY ON WHERE YOUR GONNA FIND ME . THIS IS THE BEST SPOT BY FAR I HAVE EVER HAD THE PRIVLIGE TO WET A LINE AT . HEAVEN ON EARTH , THATS THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE IT , HEAVEN ON EARTH .
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