A Fun Weekend.

Last week flew by!  And I decided I would try to catch things up on the weekend that I simply did not have time to do during the few free hours I had during the work days.  I actually made a list!  And it was quite long.

Mostly, I wanted to clean the house and put all of my fishing stuff away.   A little organization, packing, folding, and stowing were the name of the game.  I cleaned the house, the car, the garage ( a bit) and did my laundry!   I also shopped for my lunches and even had time to visit the Clubhouse for a beer!   All of this was done on Saturday!

That left Sunday free and clear for the pursuit of my choice. 

I went to church at 8 am and Dave suggested that it would be a wonderful day for fishing.   That put an idea in my head and I simply could not shake it.  Talk about the power of suggestion!

Of course, the reasons to not go should have been obvious:  I just cleaned up the kayaks and put them away for the season.   AND there was supposed to be rain the entire weekend.   Well, it did rain Saturday.   But the Sunday sky looked quite different from the picture the weather channel would have me believe.  And besides.... what else was I going to do?

So... I took a chance.

I sent Dave a text and offered an afternoon fishing trip to the pond.  Just in case, I brought the smaller kayak and his fishing pole.   However,  he did not make it.  

But that did not stop me!  I unfolded the new kayak and filled her up. Within a few minutes, I was in the water and had two nice bluegills on the stringer!

I fished for a couple hours and managed to catch 10 fish.   After the first two, the action was a feast or famine scenario.  At one time I had a double header, but most of the time, the fish were biting light and rather picky.   Still, the fly/wax worm combo was the bait of choice.   And most the fish were pushing 9 inches. 

I was rather excited about the success, because I had recently purchased a "cheap" electric fillet knife to see if I could improve upon my fish cleaning skills. And now I had a few fish to practice/ experiment on. 

The verdict?   I think there is potential!   Possibly with some thinner blades... and only for the parts where there are bones.   After I cut off the ribs, I would switch to a normal fillet knife to skin and remove the bones that were attached to the meat. 

Would it be faster?   

Maybe...  with a little practice and blade modification.  I'll have to see how I can improve in the coming months. 

In the mean time,  I put the fillets in the fridge with some buttermilk and I invited Dave over for some fish for lunch.  Fish and Chips on a Monday....  Who would have thought?

So now I have to clean up the back of the car again and refold the boat.  It should not take too long, and I was impressed how little time it took to go from fully stowed to inflated and on the water!  That was one of the main reasons I selected an inflatable Kayak to begin with.   And I can fit two of them, along with all of my fishing gear, in the back part of my Subaru!  How cool is that?

I had thought about doing some mushroom hunting this weekend, but I am still working on the foot issue and trying to allow it to heal as much as possible before the big Turkey Trot.  That being said, I did find some Lung Oysters on a dead tree on the bank of the pond.  I managed to harvest a couple, and Dave and I had some deep fried along with the fish this afternoon.  They were delicious!

And now, a new week begins.   I believe this is the first time I have ever fished during the month of November.  Usually, I was hunting for deer with a bow or squirrels with a gun.  And the Opening Day  was right in the  middle of the month.   No time to break out the boat and fish for anything. Not to mention the Cold! 

But now, I find fishing more relaxing.   And the inflatable Kayak makes it easy to just go whenever the mood hits you.   I think there is potential to get back into fishing like I was so many years ago.   Back when fishing was my life and identity.   It is shocking to me just how much I had drifted away from something I had loved so deeply.  

But that is life.   Things that are incredibly important in our youth, eventually fade away and are forgotten when something new replaces it.   I guess it just takes time and age to discover that for yourself.  

However,  you can always revisit those old passions.   And maybe,  if the time is right and the conditions line up,  you can start the flame anew!   And make ever remaining second count,