Post by barryl on Oct 21, 2009 14:13:50 GMT -5
I will try to post some pic's if Jay S ever sends them to me.
We started out of Lafayette about 4am on Oct 10th with high hopes,a 16ft boat w/25hp and more gear than we would ever need.
The trip was going long just fine we were making good time when my brother Gary said " this is about the spot where this van lost it's transmission a year ago"............The gods of road trip misfortune must have been listening. The cruise control suddenly dropped into passing gear, the motor revved, and the engine blew!
We limped to an off ramp about 30 miles north of Nashville, called a tow service and was pulled about 3/4 of a mile to a parking lot . The lot had a 10ft tall pink elephant holding a martini glass to which we replied "Huh! now their's something you don't see every day." It also had an antique store that the owners said we could leave the van and boat for a few days if needed.
We considered our options and decided to press on with a rental. Problem? Other than a box truck no company rents vehicles that can tow. We where suppose to drop the boat off at Dale Hollow on the way back so we made arrangements to have someone pick it up from there.
To shorten this saga some, 5hours,$90 in cab fees,and $375 in rentals charges we where back on the road.
We arrived at our house in Davenport FL at about 2am, it was 86 degrees. It seems we had made it just in time for the hottest Oct. in Florida history. Why? Do I mention this well, it effects the fishing. And remember this started out as a fishing trip. Even though it felt more like some thing from National Lampoon!
Sunday we decided to hire a guide I had used this summer to salvage what was left of our trip. Gary thought it best that he fly back and start making some kind of arrangements for the dead van we had left in Tennessee. We hired Captain Terry Lamielle to fish fresh water on Monday and salt on Tuesday.
Monday Oct. 12th due to dropping Gary off at the Orlando airport we got a bit of a late start. We had told Capt. Terry this the day before so he was all right with it, however we missed the best part of the fishing day. We met with Terry about 8:10 am and had about a 30min. drive to the stick mashes of central Florida. I have never fished this before and was in for quite an experience. The heat index by the time we got on the water was already over 100 and the fishing was off. We only got a few bass and none of much size for Florida. However we did learn why you don't dangle your feet in the water in the stick marsh. We saw gators, turtles,gators,snakes lots of snakes,and oh yes did say gators. We got off the water just about noon heat index 104. Drove the hour and a half back stopped for dinner, went for a swim in the pool (the water was hot) and died in bed.
Tuesday we met Capt. Terry about 6:30am in Grant FL. and headed out into the bay. It was already so hot the snook bite just was not happening. We did however catch spotted trout, jacks, Spanish mackerel, and one strange looking thing called a moon fish. But again by noon it was unbearably hot. We headed in Capt. Terry only charged us a full day charter for both days (about a $200 discount) and apologized again for the weather.
Jay and I retreated to the comfort of the air conditioning of the rental car and drove up the coast on A1A to Titisville. We had a good dinner at Griller's at the Cape and found a good fly shop called The Fly Fisherman. We tried to get to the Renzetti factory before it closed but were to late.
We did find out about a place in Orlando where you can fly fish for Barramundi. This got us both very excited so despite the woes of this trip we are going back next May or June with a brand new plan.
May all your journeys be memorable tight lines Barryl
We started out of Lafayette about 4am on Oct 10th with high hopes,a 16ft boat w/25hp and more gear than we would ever need.
The trip was going long just fine we were making good time when my brother Gary said " this is about the spot where this van lost it's transmission a year ago"............The gods of road trip misfortune must have been listening. The cruise control suddenly dropped into passing gear, the motor revved, and the engine blew!
We limped to an off ramp about 30 miles north of Nashville, called a tow service and was pulled about 3/4 of a mile to a parking lot . The lot had a 10ft tall pink elephant holding a martini glass to which we replied "Huh! now their's something you don't see every day." It also had an antique store that the owners said we could leave the van and boat for a few days if needed.
We considered our options and decided to press on with a rental. Problem? Other than a box truck no company rents vehicles that can tow. We where suppose to drop the boat off at Dale Hollow on the way back so we made arrangements to have someone pick it up from there.
To shorten this saga some, 5hours,$90 in cab fees,and $375 in rentals charges we where back on the road.
We arrived at our house in Davenport FL at about 2am, it was 86 degrees. It seems we had made it just in time for the hottest Oct. in Florida history. Why? Do I mention this well, it effects the fishing. And remember this started out as a fishing trip. Even though it felt more like some thing from National Lampoon!
Sunday we decided to hire a guide I had used this summer to salvage what was left of our trip. Gary thought it best that he fly back and start making some kind of arrangements for the dead van we had left in Tennessee. We hired Captain Terry Lamielle to fish fresh water on Monday and salt on Tuesday.
Monday Oct. 12th due to dropping Gary off at the Orlando airport we got a bit of a late start. We had told Capt. Terry this the day before so he was all right with it, however we missed the best part of the fishing day. We met with Terry about 8:10 am and had about a 30min. drive to the stick mashes of central Florida. I have never fished this before and was in for quite an experience. The heat index by the time we got on the water was already over 100 and the fishing was off. We only got a few bass and none of much size for Florida. However we did learn why you don't dangle your feet in the water in the stick marsh. We saw gators, turtles,gators,snakes lots of snakes,and oh yes did say gators. We got off the water just about noon heat index 104. Drove the hour and a half back stopped for dinner, went for a swim in the pool (the water was hot) and died in bed.
Tuesday we met Capt. Terry about 6:30am in Grant FL. and headed out into the bay. It was already so hot the snook bite just was not happening. We did however catch spotted trout, jacks, Spanish mackerel, and one strange looking thing called a moon fish. But again by noon it was unbearably hot. We headed in Capt. Terry only charged us a full day charter for both days (about a $200 discount) and apologized again for the weather.
Jay and I retreated to the comfort of the air conditioning of the rental car and drove up the coast on A1A to Titisville. We had a good dinner at Griller's at the Cape and found a good fly shop called The Fly Fisherman. We tried to get to the Renzetti factory before it closed but were to late.
We did find out about a place in Orlando where you can fly fish for Barramundi. This got us both very excited so despite the woes of this trip we are going back next May or June with a brand new plan.
May all your journeys be memorable tight lines Barryl