First Time Out!

Today was the virgin voyage of the new boat.  Technically it is not a new boat and it is a long way from being a virgin but it does have a nice ring to it.  

Or it could be you are never too old to learn new things... this is closer to the truth.  

We found River Forks or Twin Rivers or whatever this place is called on the first try this morning and were on the river by 9:30.  The fall Chinnock will be migrating from September through October so we were not the only boat here and we were not the smallest boat either.  There is nothing as relaxing as being on the water early in the morning when the wind is non-existent and the sun is out.

Looking down-river at the Main Umpqua.

Our launch went flawless as did most of the day.  It took awhile to get use to navigating with the troller....Bill kept reminding me that it works in the opposite direction as a tiller on a sailboat.  Its been so many years since I've been on a sailboat that that bit of information didn't help at all.  The steering was more trial and error....if you were pointing in the wrong direction then what the heck move the handle the other way.  I was hoping that everyone who was fishing wasn't watching us as we weaved our way up-river.

  
We were fishing in the "old fashion" style - no fish finder, no depth indicated - just "can you see any rocks???" and "I caught a fish".  The rocks weren't too bad as the trolling motor blades are still on at the end of the day.  

This is looking up-river at the South Umpqua.

And this is the first fish of the day.

There is a picture of my catching the anchor line with my lure but being I get to do these blogs I can decide what to show or not show!  So all the snags and dumb thing pictures will be left out.  But I will share that I also snagged the anchor between rocks but we got it out.  Another lesson learned.

By the time the second fish was in the boat, the wind had picked up and we still had to motor back to the ramp with a pretty hefty head wind.  Even though we were going with the flow of the river the wind made for a slow trip back.

I am so glad that we were the only ones who were taking a boat out as we would have won the "Home video funniest award".  The wind was blowing so hard and there was no docks here - just a concrete ramp and then the river. 

Launching the boat was a piece of cake - taking it out was something else.  Bill had the trailer down in the water downriver from the boat, I was up to my knees in the river pushing and pulling the boat, Bill is on the trailer giving directions....mmmm.  Then Bill is in the river up to his knees also, pushing and pulling!!!!  We didn't do too bad as the boat was finally on the trailer and winched up.  

Being an old boat you can't see where the new scratches are.

Things we/I learned:

1)  we took way too much stuff with us

2)  Bill still out fishes me

3)  get off the river before the wind comes up

4)  don't let your lure drop down between the rocks

5)  be careful where you anchor

6)  and have fun no matter what goes wrong.

Hoping for rain tomorrow!