Outdoors with Don Q: A mistake-filled day in the Great Outdoors
Submitted by Carson Now Reader on Wed, 04/09/2014 - 9:58pm
Monday, April 7 was the day that Elaine and I went trout fishing, and it was also the day that things did not go my way, again, as usual. The previous day, I asked her if she would like to go fishing at Indian Creek Reservoir in nearby Alpine County, Calif.
She replied that she wasn't interested, because it was a Sunday and the reservoir would probably be crowded with shore and boat fishermen.
Being the all-knowing fisherman in the family (who consistently gets outfished by his wife and who has not learned to leave well enough alone), I said, "OK, I'll tell you what we will do. We will go to ICR tomorrow morning. The weather forecast looks great, there should not be very many fishermen there, and I just bought some secret stuff at the Sportsman's Warehouse Grand Opening that will guarantee I catch more fish than you."
On the way out of Carson City on Monday morning, we stopped to pick up some pastries at Donuts To Go on North Carson Street.
While happily munching on my favorite chocolate pastry bar, I smugly told Elaine, "With my secret stuff, you don't have a chance to outfish me today."
She smiled and said, "Would you like to bet on who outfishes who?"
That was the beginning of 10 mistakes for me for the day:
Mistake No. 01:
I grinned and said, "I'll bet you dinner at Garabaldi's (our favorite restaurant in Carson City). The loser pays for dinner."
Mistake No. 02:
She replied, "You're on!"
Mistake No. 03:
When we arrived at the reservoir, instead of only a very few fishermen, there were the following: 1 small boat, 1 float tube, 2 kayaks, four shore fishermen near my fishing spot, and a total of 18 parked vehicles.
It was jam-packed with all kinds of anglers, mostly by the dam.
Plus, all kinds of water birds: Pelicans, geese, ducks, etc.
Mistake No 04:
I told Elaine, "Come on, we will walk over to my usual spot near the BLM campground, and that way we will be away from all those other fishermen."
It turned out that there was a reason that no one was shore fishing there: Fishing was slow, slow, slow.
Mistake No. 05:
When we reached our fishing location, I rigged up my pole with some of the secret stuff, cast my line way out and waited to collect on our bet.
Mistake No. 06:
Elaine asked what she should use and I replied, "Heck, try some orange Power Bait, that usually works in most places."
Mistake No. 07:
She cast her line out, we sat in our folding chairs and waited and waited and waited for something to happen. Nada, Nil, Zip.
My secret stuff was not attracting any fish nor was Elaine's Power Bait.
Mistake No 08:
Elaine finally said, "I'm tired of nothing happening, I'm going to switch and cast some lures."
I replied, "Go right ahead, I'm sticking with my secret stuff."
She reeled in her line, took off the Power Bait and the sinkers, put on a snap swivel and a Kastmaster lure and cast it out.
Mistake No 09:
On her third cast of the day, she had a strike and reeled in a planter-sized trout that was carefully released back into the water.
Opening score for the day: Elaine: One - Don: Zero.
Mistake No. 10:
I stubbornly refused to switch away from my secret stuff and Elaine caught two more small trout and lost another, while I continued to get skunked.
Final score for the day: Elaine: Three - Don: Zero.
Finally,
There are a number of indisputable facts learned by this Outdoor outing:
1. If you go to ICR on a Monday in early April, expect lots of fishermen.
2. Don't count on some kind of secret stuff to win a fishing bet for you.
3. Your wife will outfish you...again...as usual.
4. Don't make a foolish bet with your wife - The best you can hope for is second place...and second place is the first of all the losers.
5. You can bet the ranch that when I go fishing at ICR again, I am going to be spincasting with Kastmaster lures.
Bet Your Favorite Pigeon
Bet your favorite pigeon that he can't tell you what I plan to do with my secret stuff that I bought for trout fishing.
If he grins and says, "The next time they go fishing anywhere, Don plans to leave it home and he plans to take lots of Kastmaster lures," he could be a close friend of ours, who has already heard this sad story.
— Writer Don Quilici is the Outdoor editor for Carson Now. Don's wife Elaine is the photographer extraordinaire behind these great photos. They live in Carson City and can be reached at donquilici@hotmail.com.
