Last Updated on October 5, 2018 by Terry
Fact: I was/am/continue to be in love with Carla. When we got married I promised her one thing: FUN!
“Actually, the best gift you could have given her was a lifetime of adventures.” -Lewis Carroll
Mission accomplished.
I have mentioned that she likes to throw a quote at me, something about the adventure continuing. I’ve had many adventures simply by ending up in the water when I was supposed to be in the boat. Best my memory allows, I can confirm that I’ve fallen out of a boat or intentionally left said boat 11 times.
So, I’ve been overboard even more than my motor. There were various reasons. I want to share a few with you. Some of them were uneventful. We’ll skip those.
1. Being in a hurry can end you up wet
Back in the day, (the 70s) I was rebuilding the front deck on my boat. This included a new seat. After the deck was finished I was putting the screws into my pedestal. It was a 16” square fiberglass box with a swivel. The front of the box was open so you could store some of your fishing stuff inside. It had a flange all the way around and holes in each corner for screws.
I only had two screws and was in a hurry since we were going fishing as soon as we finished the seat. I put the two screws into the two front holes. I justified not rushing to the shed for more screws by convincing myself I could install the other two in the dark when we got home that night.
We arrived at the launch ramp after about a one hour drive. I slipped on my coveralls being it was early March and in the mid-40s. The water temp is usually upper 40s by this time of the year.
I climbed into the boat and Allan backed me in. The boat floated off and he pulled up and was heading about 50 yards up the hill to the parking area. As he got out of the truck he was startled by me running toward him and screaming as loud as I could to “Start the truck back up!!!”
As the boat drifted off the trailer I had leaned forward to lower the electric motor in order to guide the boat over to the shore. I was about 35-40 feet away by then.
As I leaned over the entire pedestal went with me since it did not have screws in the back. I continued going forward and head first over the front of the boat, seat and all. It was just about 6’ deep so I was able to push myself up from the bottom of the lake and swim to shore in the seemingly freezing water.
As soon as my feet hit the bottom I was running from the water up the hill. By then Allan had parked the truck and was exiting. I was screaming at him to start it back up and put the heater on high!
I jumped into the truck and shed the soaked coveralls. I did not have any extra clothes so I was at the mercy of the trucks heater. Meanwhile, the boat is drifting around out in front of the ramp. Fortunately the wind was in our favor and it finally blew it to the shore.
I was for leaving the seat and pedestal and get the boat back onto the trailer and head for home and dry clothes. Allan convinced me he could recover the seat. After I warmed a little we backed the trailer near the water.
He stripped down to his underwear and waded in. (I can still hear the sounds he was making as he got waist deep.) He continued until the water was up to his mouth and nose when he finally found the seat with his feet. He went under and worked it back to the shallow water.
I was warm enough by now to switch off with him. I backed the trailer in and pulled the boat back in place while he put his dry clothes back on. He then switched to the driver’s seat and headed for home as I continued shaking. Another fishing trip ruined by not doing something right the first time.
I reinstalled the seat the next morning making sure I did not leave anything out this time, and started carrying a bag of extra clothes wherever I went.
“If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” John Wooden
Uhh, the next day like I said. Please pay attention John.
2. Can anyone explain how you get your head stuck in the mud at the bottom of the lake? Uhh, I can.
I’ve been asked many times as to the success of my fishing. Let me spell it out to you in just a few steps.
Step 1: Confirm with Cody that we are going in the morning.
Step 2: Pick him up and head east to the lower White River Basin.
Step 3: Arrive and launch boat.
Step 4: Motor to slough that leads to the lake we want to fish.
Step 5: Remove 9.9 motor and tank and hide in bushes.
Step 6: Drag boat over beaver dam.
Step 7: Start catching fish!
So far everything was going well. We were catching fish and having a great time. As usual I was giving him a harsh fishing lesson. He was fishing, I was catching. We had been at it for a few hours when I stood up just to stretch and get the blood flowing in my legs.
I still can’t confirm that it was intentional, but he shifted around in the back seat and I was about to go over the side again. Both of my rods were on the side that I was fixing to exit the boat so I attempted a world class dive into the water in an effort to not break my fishing tools. It worked in that my rods were not broken but I ended up going in head first in water that was only 2 and one half feet deep.
These old lakes are 100 years old and have become silted in by leaves and small limbs during their lifetime. If you were to crawl out of your boat and attempt to walk, you would be near knee deep in an instant. The bottom is very soft.
Now, I am on my hands and knees with my head sticking straight down into the mud and silt. I tried to push down with my hands but they sank to my elbows. This is getting a little scary, realizing there is no air below the bottom of the lake.
I felt I had one chance, I pulled my knees up to my chest with my toes pointing straight back with legs together. This gives me more flat surface to push against the mud. I simultaneously push up with my legs and palms. I could feel my head inching upwards.
Being stuck has caused a suction between my head and the mud. Fortunately my head continues to slowly rise from the watery muddy grave. I thrust my head upwards and take a deep breath. I look around at the back of the boat and asked my former favorite nephew what he was waiting for?
He informs me that he had wondered what was taking so long for me to get back in the boat. He told me I was holding him up. He had fished out the area and was ready to move down the shore line a little farther. He figured I had spooked all the fish in this area anyway by splashing around.
I asked him if he had not realized that I was stuck in the bottom of the lake and needed help. He said no and while I was still sitting in the mud I might consider washing all the mud from my face and head. I told him I could not move as I had lost my glasses from being stuck in the mud and if I moved I would lose my bearing of where I had lost them.
I splashed water in my face to remove as much mud as possible and started reaching my hands into the silty mud until I actually found my glasses. I was careful in working them back up from under about a foot of the mud. I finally washed off pretty good and worked my way back into the boat. We continued catching more fish for several more hours.
Step 8: Head back to the beaver dam and pull boat back over.
Step 9: Reinstall motor and gas tank.
Step 10: Motor back to launch ramp.
Step 11: Wade into water deep enough to completely wash all the dried mud from my entire body and clothes.
Step 12: Change into fresh clothes I now carry with me everywhere I go.
Step 13: Load boat and head home.
“Remember what Bilbo used to say: ‘It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” — J.R.R. Tolkien
Thanks for your time. Keep an eye out for my new book launch any day now – The 99 Truths of Life, Joining the Revolution of Recovering Life Values
You Tube channel growing. New videos this week.
