thudpucker
Well-known member
A good reason to own one of these handy little boats.
My Son, Ricky and his Buddy at Rattlesnake Lake.
Ricky was 7 or so and one of his Buddies asked to go fishing with us.
Great, those two would have a good time no matter what.
I had my Uncle Jiggs Pram. It was home made from a Popular Mechanics plan.
Jigg’s passion was woodworking and he was a Precision Machinist at his craft.
It was 8’ or 9’ long and 4’ wide in the middle.
I rowed it. No motor. Jiggs made the Oars too.
This lake was not well known. 50 miles from Seattle and no Ramps.
Normally no more than two other groups on the lake at any time I was there.
It was part of a Water Shed and was just opened a few months before this trip.
It had been closed to fishing since the Water Shed was created. Years and years in the past.
Supposedly it was Fly Fishing only though. Single hook, Fly only, no bait.
So many people used ‘Ford Fenders’ etc to haul all the big fish out right after it opened.
Irresponsible cheaters.
The water was so clear the ‘illegal’ gear that snagged could be seen clearly hanging on the stumps.
Also the Dead Deer at the bottom of the old Creek bed near the middle of the lake.
It wouldn’t be a good place to dump a body.
So we made it to the lake, got the boat out of the Pickup and carried it down a gravel bank and into the water. PFD’s Cushions and some other Little necessities, like snacks, drinks, Rod’s n’ Reels. I was happy to have a couple of energetic packers with me.
They were playing around the shore while I got my fly rod ready and one for Ricky.
Then we were in the water fishing.
The two Boys were side by side in the Rear seat.
Each had a Rod, line trailing our behind them.
The Boy’s dad had given him a Rod/Reel with old line on it.
Ricky had one of my Sinking lines.
“Hold tight if a fish bites” I told them.
I took us over the ‘flats’ or a shallow area with no fish that I knew of, then out over the Exciting area where we’d caught some Whoppers.
These were Rainbow and I had two outta that lake that were over four lbs. The Rest was two and three lbs. I loved that lake for quiet excitement.
Soon Ricky hooked one. It was just a foot or so. Then another one. My flies worked well on that rod.
That kid sitting next to Ricky looked so down hearted. I felt bad for him, but couldn’t make it all better right then.
I'd already tied a fly onto his line that worked well in that lake. A 'jameson shrimp' which had been successful in the past and had the 'aging' marks on it.
Suddenly, the Kid’s reel began to sing. Then Scream…..than silence.
It was an old style Bait Caster. Crunchy Gears and loose tolerances.
That Kid’s Dad never tied the line on to the reel. The fish took it all in one long run.
The kid hung his head in silence. Soon the Tears.
I felt like hell. Nothing I could have done would have made his life better right then.
We went back looking for that line, thinking that fish would have dragged it over a stump or some other submerged object.
But nope! No luck.
So…..we went on fishing.
I gave him my good Fenwick/Pfluger #9 setup.
We went on fishing but it was never the same.
That kid had no idea of how to fish.
And especially with that weird fishing rod and reel.
But we caught more fish that evening.
When we left, way after Dark, we almost had a limit.
The boys helped me get the Boat and Stuff up that bank, and all the stuff loaded.
Before we got out to the paved Road to Highway 10 (later 90) both those boys were asleep.
50 Miles later we were home.
I got the Kid in the house, still asleep and he spent the night on the Couch.
Ricky staggered to his own bed.
I had no idea who that kid is or was.
All in all, we got back safe, learned a lot and had a great time of it.
Don't pass up building a Mr. Jon. It's a great boat for kids and the old guy rowing it too. :lol: :LOL2:
My Son, Ricky and his Buddy at Rattlesnake Lake.
Ricky was 7 or so and one of his Buddies asked to go fishing with us.
Great, those two would have a good time no matter what.
I had my Uncle Jiggs Pram. It was home made from a Popular Mechanics plan.
Jigg’s passion was woodworking and he was a Precision Machinist at his craft.
It was 8’ or 9’ long and 4’ wide in the middle.
I rowed it. No motor. Jiggs made the Oars too.
This lake was not well known. 50 miles from Seattle and no Ramps.
Normally no more than two other groups on the lake at any time I was there.
It was part of a Water Shed and was just opened a few months before this trip.
It had been closed to fishing since the Water Shed was created. Years and years in the past.
Supposedly it was Fly Fishing only though. Single hook, Fly only, no bait.
So many people used ‘Ford Fenders’ etc to haul all the big fish out right after it opened.
Irresponsible cheaters.
The water was so clear the ‘illegal’ gear that snagged could be seen clearly hanging on the stumps.
Also the Dead Deer at the bottom of the old Creek bed near the middle of the lake.
It wouldn’t be a good place to dump a body.
So we made it to the lake, got the boat out of the Pickup and carried it down a gravel bank and into the water. PFD’s Cushions and some other Little necessities, like snacks, drinks, Rod’s n’ Reels. I was happy to have a couple of energetic packers with me.
They were playing around the shore while I got my fly rod ready and one for Ricky.
Then we were in the water fishing.
The two Boys were side by side in the Rear seat.
Each had a Rod, line trailing our behind them.
The Boy’s dad had given him a Rod/Reel with old line on it.
Ricky had one of my Sinking lines.
“Hold tight if a fish bites” I told them.
I took us over the ‘flats’ or a shallow area with no fish that I knew of, then out over the Exciting area where we’d caught some Whoppers.
These were Rainbow and I had two outta that lake that were over four lbs. The Rest was two and three lbs. I loved that lake for quiet excitement.
Soon Ricky hooked one. It was just a foot or so. Then another one. My flies worked well on that rod.
That kid sitting next to Ricky looked so down hearted. I felt bad for him, but couldn’t make it all better right then.
I'd already tied a fly onto his line that worked well in that lake. A 'jameson shrimp' which had been successful in the past and had the 'aging' marks on it.
Suddenly, the Kid’s reel began to sing. Then Scream…..than silence.
It was an old style Bait Caster. Crunchy Gears and loose tolerances.
That Kid’s Dad never tied the line on to the reel. The fish took it all in one long run.
The kid hung his head in silence. Soon the Tears.
I felt like hell. Nothing I could have done would have made his life better right then.
We went back looking for that line, thinking that fish would have dragged it over a stump or some other submerged object.
But nope! No luck.
So…..we went on fishing.
I gave him my good Fenwick/Pfluger #9 setup.
We went on fishing but it was never the same.
That kid had no idea of how to fish.
And especially with that weird fishing rod and reel.
But we caught more fish that evening.
When we left, way after Dark, we almost had a limit.
The boys helped me get the Boat and Stuff up that bank, and all the stuff loaded.
Before we got out to the paved Road to Highway 10 (later 90) both those boys were asleep.
50 Miles later we were home.
I got the Kid in the house, still asleep and he spent the night on the Couch.
Ricky staggered to his own bed.
I had no idea who that kid is or was.
All in all, we got back safe, learned a lot and had a great time of it.
Don't pass up building a Mr. Jon. It's a great boat for kids and the old guy rowing it too. :lol: :LOL2:
