4 years fishing in the dark. By, Steve

      This October completes a fourth year for this blog. As with all things existential, we have never known what it is, or why we are doing it. A log? report? Journal? It has provided at least the satisfaction of a creative outlet, and even at times a motivation to fish, when there is no reason except to get a picture and a story. From time to time we look back through our old blog posts. Sometimes we honestly don't remember what we were doing this time last year, or the year before so we look back just for an idea of what to do this year or next. Some posts are just pictures, others are elaborate, tedious, meandering, diatribes. I am glad when I do look back sometimes just to realize that above all, or at least in spite of all, we were fishing.

      As always I enjoy drawing ideas into this dubious world of 'sport' fishing from unexpected realms and sources. My favorite filmmaker, Werner Herzog is fond of saying "If you want to quit smoking, quit smoking" I feel that sentiment is enough to answer what this is and why we are doing it. We keep wanting to go fishing, so we go fishing. We keep wanting to write this blog, so here's the proof.
Enjoy this reverse narrative in Haiku form, with the pictures in no particular order.

  

Dry old farts, in cars

Say "You guys look serious!" 

No, we are joking.

Leftover Bloodworms

We throw away to shorebirds

Bucketeers bridge tog.

Radio deserted.

Who would believe we alone

are anywhere near?

Pinch the tail and tongue

Stretch fish to desired length,

Take home for dinner!

Slack tide at daybreak

An appropriate time for

trolling tube and worm.

Straight hooks catch no fish

Anatomical deceit,

opposable thumbs!

Feet freeze first, thaw last

Save-a-lot not just any

Old grocery store.

A fish still swimming

In King Nummy's mind is one

No one else can see.

The End

   

Jane's Island, High times and Low, by: Steve

     

heron

      I haven't fished in over a month, luckily everything is right where I left it, in no time I cast to the first point. First point, first fish. At Jane's Island we like to say "There's a fish on every point!". 

It is night, we are trolling small bass assassin's rigged weedless, picking up small bass along the banks. KGB is with us, he did not read our Jane's Island post from last year, nothing is where he had left it. he is not trolling yet...

small bass on the troll

      These fish are small 12-19 inch specimens, we want to fish to a spot that Alexi and I both have a picture of in our Imaginations. KGB is getting ready to launch, I troll back that way to get him started in the right direction, he didn't look at the map of Jane's Island. 

KGB hooks up! the fish hits his rod, it is gone. This will be his last trip.

      A bigger fish is in shallower water...

night rockfish

      Hot dogs and buns in case of no fish. If fish then hot dogs for stuffing. Old bay, foil, and charcoal, good. Beer, of course. We did forget two things: Lemon and Butter... We had a party.

a.m.

      Hard to wake up. But we did early enough to go into a little mist. The current moved us north. KGB's setup fell into the water because of a bad boat, he jumped in after it. He didn't try to fish again. He never will.

hung up to dry (for good?)

      Alexi and I drifted back north. We caught a fish on every point along the way, and two speckled trout, but not big ones.

small trout

      After a while we started back towards the launch to find KGB. Jane's Island is a large area for a kayak, with lots of winding trails, no cell reception, and KGB doesn't carry a marine radio, so we figured we better find him and make a plan.

      We found him right where we left him, trying to snag his rod off the bottom with a heavy bucktail, it was hard to watch. Alexi and I have gone through some tackle over the years, lost and broken setups, radios, cameras, sunglasses and on and on, Alexi says "You can't stay mad forever". I don't know, but I think KGB will stay mad for a very long time.

      Me, I can't wait to get back to Jane's Island...