|
My First
Trip :
Attendees |
| |
Duane
Dew,
Casey
Allen,
Chad
Allen,
Larry
Allen,
John
France |
|
Meeting
Larry,
Chad,
and
Casey in
Dayton,
Friday
June
29th,
2001 |
| |
I was
going to
meet
them at
the
Dayton
Airport.
I found
myself
working
and was
going to
await a
call
from
Larry on
when
they
departed
Lexington.
Larry
was
calling
my cell
phone
which
was in
the car
and I
was
thinking
he was
going to
call my
work
number.
I called
his cell
phone
after
wondering
what was
taking
so long
to find
out that
they
were
almost
to
Dayton.
Dayton
is an
hour
away
from
where I
live. I
can't
miss
this
trip, so
I threw
all my
stuff in
the car
and
quickly
headed
out to
meet
them.
When I
arrived,
I
discovered
Larry in
his
truck
sleeping
and
Casey
and Chad
had
decided
to
continue
on the
trip. |
|
Saganaw |
| |
We sat
around
the pool
that
night,
talking
about
what I
should
expect
on my
first
trip,
and
listening
to the
old pros
of the
trip
provide
this
rookie
with
much
valuable
information.
We woke
up early
the next
morning,
made the
ritual
visit to
the
local
Gandar
Mountain,
and then
made our
way to
Blind
River. |
|
The
Lodge,
Cabins |
| |
We
stayed
in the
two new
cabins
that THE
LODGE
had
recently
built.
I stayed
with
Larry,
Chad and
Casey.
I was
allowed
the
privilege
of
sleeping
on the
top bunk
with
Casey on
the
bottom,
Larry
had the
master
room,
and Chad
had the
other
room
upstairs. |
|
Fishing
with
Larry,
Introduction
to the
FLUKE |
| |
I am not
an
experienced
fisherman,
as much
as I
like to
claim I
am. I
was
given
the
pleasure
to fish
with
Larry as
he had
the most
experience
and
knowledge
of
catching
smallmouth
on Late
Matinenda.
WHITE
FLUKE.....
he
continued
to keep
using a
white or
pearl
colored
fluke.
Like a
child
wanting
something
without
asking,
I kept
asking
questions
as to
what he
was
using,
and how
he was
fishing
it,
while I
was not
catching
anything,
he was.
I would
look at
him with
these
sad
little
droopy
eyes
like a
dog
begging
for
scraps
and
would
say
"Hmmm, I
don't
believe
I have
any".
We would
continue
to fish,
then I
would
get fed
up, and
would
scrounge
through
what
little
fishing
supplies
I had,
and once
again
say
"Darn
it, I
don't
have any
flukes
and look
desperate".
Taking
pity on
me, he
finally
opened
up his
tackle
and
said,
"Here
take
some".
Like a
kid in a
candy
store, I
could
not
believe
the
amount
and
variety
of
flukes
this man
possessed.
How
could he
keep all
these
and not
share
with
me......
Well he
did, he
also
found
out that
I did
not have
any of
the
hooks
that
were
needed
to
properly
FLUKE
and once
again,
came
through
and
provided
me with
some.
Later
that
night,
as
though
the
flukes
he had
in his
tackle
was not
enough,
he drops
this
large
bag of
plastics
in front
of me
and says
have at
it....
Wow,
what
generosity,
I was
very
grateful.
As I was
going
through
the bag,
he picks
out some
BUBBLE
GUM
colored
flukes
and
informs
me that
these
would
really
wear out
the
bass. I
should
have
noticed
Chad and
Casey
snickering
off in
the
corner,
but I
didn't.
The next
day, I
spent
the
majority
of the
morning
trying
to catch
bass on
these
flukes
while
Larry
was
catching
bass
after
bass on
his
pearl
colored
flukes.
Well,
after
half a
day not
achieving
very
much, I
looked
at Larry
and
asked
"Do you
have any
more of
those
pearl
colored
flukes,
these
Bubble
Gum
colored
don't
seem to
be doing
the
trick".
Larry
looked
shocked
at this,
how
could
they not
work,
and
after a
little
torture,
he
allowed
me to
share
much of
his
tackle
that
year,
and I
had a
great
time. |
|
I Lose
My
Wallet. |
| |
Well, on
Wednesday,
July 3rd
2001, we
made the
trip to
BIG
MOON. I
was
fishing
with
Casey at
this
time, I
assume
because
I was
costing
Larry
quite a
bit of
money
with the
use of
his
tackle,
and it
was time
for
someone
else to
help
supply
me. We
went to
big moon
and
fished
that
lake. I
did not
have
much
luck
there,
and I
don't
believe
Casey
had that
much
luck.
We
packed a
lunch
and ate
on the
shore
under
some
shade
trees by
an old
boat
that had
holes in
it. We
could
not
finish
our
sandwiches
because
the
mosquito
call had
been
sounded
and
those
blood
suckers
were
rattling
the
leaves
as they
flew
through
the
woods to
get to
our nice
warm
blood.
We
arrived
back at
the
dock,
where I
had my
wallet
in the
side
pocket
of my
windbreaker.
It had
been
there
all day,
but I
did not
really
wear it
until
the
evening
when it
was
getting
cooler.
The
jacket
had been
tossed
around
the boat
all
day. I
helped
Casey
and sat
on the
edge of
the dock
with my
feet in
the boat
holding
it
steady
while he
went to
get his
truck.
That
night,
back in
the
cabin, I
could
not find
my
wallet,
I
searched
everywhere
for it,
and I
knew I
had it
in my
wind
breaker
that
day. It
was
gone,
lost in
the
depths
of moon
river.
And what
was in
my
wallet.
All my
Canadian
currency
that I
was
going to
pay for
my stay,
and use
for our
dinner
at the
lodge.
I was
mad,
embarrassed,
and
beating
myself
up.
What
better
friend
to have
than the
beer
that was
in the
cabin.
I began
to drown
the
situation
away
beer
after
beer.
Casey
asked if
I wanted
to go to
the dock
and see
if it
fell out
of my
pocket.
I did
not,
because
I knew
it had
to have
fallen
out when
were
were
tossing
the
jacket
around
the boat
the
whole
day.
Casey
even
asked
the next
day if I
wanted
to go to
big moon
and look
for it,
it was
bound to
float.
But I
did not
want to
waste a
day of
fishing
to look
for a
wallet,
and
waste a
day for
Casey
looking
for my
wallet
when he
could be
fishing.
So I
continued
beating
my self
up with
more
beers |
|
WOLFS!!!!! |
| |
Everyone
decided
to go to
bed,
except
me. I
still
had to
beat
myself
up some
more.
While I
was on
the back
deck,
out from
the
darkness
of the
woods,
and
under a
near
full
moon,
came
these
big
giant
dogs
running
across
the yard
in the
back. I
could
not
believe
it, I
stood in
shock.
I ran in
and
yelled
to the
whole
cabin
that
there
are
Wolfs
outside.
I must
have
went in
and out
a couple
of times
after
that,
and not
being
particularly
quit
about
opening
and
closing
the
door. I
guess no
one else
was
interested,
so I
decided
that it
was much
past my
time to
go to
bed. |
|
Next
Morning |
| |
The next
morning,
Larry
awoke
early to
make the
cabin
breakfast,
and
intentionally
not
being
quit
about it
at all.
I
remember
Casey
telling
me that
he
thinks
his dad
wants us
up. We
got up
that
morning,
I was
not
feeling
particularly
well,
ate
breakfast
and went
out for
more
fishing
time. I
fished
with
Casey
and kept
cussing
myself
out and
beating
myself
up about
the
current
predicament
that I
now
found
myself
in. I
have
lost my
wallet,
I have
made the
whole
cabin
mad with
my
antics
the
night
before,
and had
no way
to pay
for
anything.
Just
great....
and very
little
useful
fishing
equipment.....
just
great....
|
|
GOOD
NEWS |
| |
We
returned
to the
cabin
the
after a
day of
fishing,
and the
owner
came
down
asking
if there
was a
Duane
Dew, I
said
that was
me, and
he gave
me my
wallet.
It seems
that
Casey
was
correct
(this is
rare but
true)
and that
my
wallet
was on
the dock
where I
was
holding
the
boat...
Life was
good
again,
and I
felt
like I
was
slowly
being
forgiven
for what
took
place
the
night
before.
Later
that
night,
some
funny
guys who
were
staying
at the
lodge
came
down and
preceded
to crack
all of
us up
with
some of
their
stories.
These
Michigan
guys, it
turns
out, are
usually
there
the same
time
Larry
usually
is, so
this was
not
their
first
meeting.
I have
not seen
them
since,
maybe in
a future
trip, if
there is
a future
trip for
me. I
have a
sneaking
suspicion
that I
will not
be told
about
the trip
next
year. |
|
Conclusion |
| |
I had a
really
great
time
this
year,
and
learned
allot
about
fishing
for
smallmouth.
I have
never
fished
for
smallmouth
and they
are a
very fun
fish to
catch.
If I go
the next
year, I
will be
sure and
have my
tackle
ready.
I may
even ask
my
father-in-law
Keith,
if he
wants to
go...... |
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Official Site for the Lake Matinenda
Smallmouth Fishing Club
