Arrived at Pass Lake around 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon. As I prepared to launch my boat I saw tens of dozens of empty midge schucks floating at the water's edge. Then I noticed that there wasn't a drain plug in my boat. Brilliant.
Fortunately I have lots of experience with situations like this. I've even made up a check list.
#1. Don't panick, remain calm.
- Okay I'm calm, ignorance is bliss.
#2. What did I do last time this happened?
- Never done this one before, first time for everything.
#3. Is there a spare?
- Yes but it's at home, sitting on the workbench next to the one it's supposed to be a backup for.
#4. Look around, did anyone see you do this? Is Wife present?
- No one saw - self esteem intact. Wife's not here, no second guessing - confidence intact.
#5. Search rig, find duct tape. If no duct tape call 911 and/or light signal fire.
- Check, duct tape located.
#6. Formulate plan*.
- Check, plan in head...now.
#7 Gather tools and materials, implement plan.
- One roll of duct tape, one tube of chap-stick. Implementing plan.
*formulat plan" is survival checklist speak for "make something up" and stick with it until you...
a) fix problem.
b) help arrives.
c) something worse happens.
Twenty minutes later I row across the lake, chap-stick/duct tape drain hole plug firmly in place. Crisis averted.
The fishing was much less eventful. Leeches and streamers were ignored. Too early for the usual hatches of caddis, mayflies and damsels. No boatmen were observed. I was forced to fish chironomids.
It's called bobber fishing around here. The idea is to tie on one or two chironomid pupae and suspend them near the lake bottom using a strike indicator. When the indicator goes down you set the hook. It's just like fishing for bluegills with a bobber and worms.
It can be effective as live bait too. When stillwater trout are locked onto hatching chironomids this kind of fishing can provide non-stop action for hours. Other times you get vertigo from staring at the indicator for so long.
So I fished chironomids for the last couple hours of the day. I picked up one big 17 inch rainbow and a couple of fiesty 12 inchers. I hooked lots of other fish but they were recently planted stockers that shook off the hook before I could land them. Slow day.
At the boat launch at the end of the day the talk was that the hatch ended at about the 3 o'clock. Apparently everyone was doing real well until then.
