The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

I have been debating whether to even type this post. That is how hard it has been for me to digest my latest fishing adventure. When I say adventure I mean this one I will never forget. The title says it all beginning with the GOOD. It was really good to fish with Trent my nephew and his son Will and some of their friends, and Jay and Kelly of the Naturalist's Angle Blog. We had been planning this trip for months and everyone was really looking forward to a great float trip on Bear Creek in north Alabama. There were numbers of fish that were taken from some exceptional looking places on the creek. It is one beautiful place with the high rock walls and huge beech, fur, and hardwood trees lining the banks of the creek. This creek when the generators are running reminds one of a stream out west with its snowpacks melting. That is how beautiful it is.  Fast rapids throughout the six-mile stretch can make for some exceptional canoeing and kayak floating. But it can also make for some unexpected BAD experiences. Fire Station rapids started the BAD. Trent and I had already been through some fast water, but this run was a bit more challenging because you needed to maneuver the canoe to the left of the main rapids to make the run successful. The canoe we were using was not supplied by the rental company, but one Trent had borrowed from a friend. Trent noticed when we started the float that the canoe seemed a little unsteady, so we knew we needed to be extra careful during the float. The canoe and the fast rapids were what turned the trip upside down for Trent and me as we got gobbled up my rapids next to the rock wall. In short, the canoe overturned and we were in 60-degree water for at least five minutes trying to get to the bank. The current was so strong that it kept pushing us downstream, and it took a lot of effort to swim to the nearby bank pulling the canoe. Luckily we both had on life jackets and we had some of the equipment tied down in the canoe. Two items lost was one of Trent’s microlight reels and rod and my Battenkill III reel with my Redington fly rod. The overturn in water over our heads was not as bad as it seemed, because one can expect this sort of thing when canoeing, especially in fast water, but the loss of my retirement gift ( reel and rod ) will take a while to get over. We both agree we should have tie down all equipment before attempting a run that fast, but the truth is we thought it was not that bad and we would make the run fine. We were proven wrong big time. Thanks to Jay and Kelly and some individuals at the bank that help us get the canoe upright. Trent suggested to his son Will that they switch canoes with us so we would be in a more stable canoe the rest of the trip, so we loaded our belonging in the narrow bottom canoe as opposed to the wide bottom canoe we were using and continue downstream. It was difficult for both of us to forget about what had just happened upstream, but as we landed a few spots it put some zip back into the trip. The zip I am talking about soon disappeared as we encountered the UGLY part of this trip. We had both just landed two nice spots when we noticed two rapids ahead separated by a huge uprooted white oak tree that was lying downstream. You could either take the left rapid or one could take the right rapid to the right of the tree stump. We choose the right, and in this case right is not always right, for us it was wrong as the canoe bounced off the tree stump throwing both of us out of the canoe and pinning the canoe against the tree stump. As for equipment on this turnover Trent’s fly rod got broken. Luckily Jay and Kelly were close by again and while Kelly picked up the microlight and my fishing vest in some of the shallows below, Jay, Trent and I unpinned the canoe in the fast current. The canoe hit the tree stump so hard on the turnover it dented in the bottom of the canoe. Lucky for Trent and I neither was hurt. We were both glad that Jay and Kelly were nearby to help us out because we would have lost more equipment. I know some you are saying why we didn’t learn from the first turnover and tie down the reels and rods; we asked ourselves the same question. So after getting all the water out of the canoe and TYING DOWN all the equipment, we continued on. After landing some more spots things kind of got back to normal? As for equipment we were left with a couple of microlights and my TFO reel and rod, which help me, land my best spot of the day at the end of the six-mile stretch. Everyone else made the trip o.k. but for some reason, the bad ugly stick was all over Trent and me from lunch on. But wait to add more ugly to the ugly aspect of this trip: we are unloading everything from the canoes and I notice I can’t find my fishing vest with all my flies and accessories in the canoe. We both looked throughout the canoe and in the packs, but no fishing vest. To this day I can’t figure how that vest got away from me. The last time I saw the vest was on the last turnover, when Kelly handed it to me and I put it back in the canoe, after that I don’t know.
You know there are fishing trips that bring back great memories of fish being caught and the companionship of your fellow fishermen, and this trip had all of that, but the part that I want to forget is the bad, and ugly of this adventure. Just let me say in closing that the fish Trent and I caught was the most expensive fish we ever landed.

Trent, Will and his buddy getting ready for the float

Jay and Kelly at the launch area

Nice run with some ripples

Trent with one of his spots of the day, notice his shirt is still dry

Fire Station rapids, notice the drop, it looks harmless but proved different

Below the run with swift current

Below the rapids

Good spot landed right above the take out area