Up The Creek…
Hello my friends, welcome to another true story from the Squirrell’s Nest. This story will focus on one particular fishing story, which looked like it would be a total disaster. Thank-God , that it ended well.
Now as kids when your Pops says, “Let’s go fishing boys, we were out the door and in the car, he did not have to ask us twice, unlike putting the garbage out every week, that was a slap upside the head, if he had to ask you twice. Pops was very good at studying Ministry maps, and from time to time his explorations paid big dividends.
On this particular outing we were going after Cutthroat trout, Pops had found this one stream on a map that he wanted to try, we were living in Smithers,Bc at the time, it was a feeder creek that emptied into a lake which had some really good fishing. So we loaded up our rubber boots, poles , tackle boxes, and out the door the four of us went, we were really excited. Every time we went on a secret mission to catch some fresh game it was an adventure. Now as in any adventure, there had to be a road trip, and this one was about an hour away. My brothers Ken, Braden and I were pretty good in the car, but a little fidgety, we wanted to get there. Thus the names Fidget asses, that he would from time to time call us.
Of course we did not know what we were up against, but when you were young, the world is your playground. We trusted Pops to get us to the honey hole, and so when we pulled up and the car doors opened, it was game on. Pops did warn us of bears, so stay close he said. On went the rubber boots, and his secret presentation on our lines, which was a bobber and a very small spinner with a fly down about six inches. Pops always did come up with a deadly combination, this would be no exception.
We were told to be very quiet by Pops, as these trout were very spooky, so we would sneak around the corners and drift our lines into these little dark deep holes. BAM, BAM, wow, we were catching some beauties all 12-16 inches, my Pop was grinning from ear to ear.
Before we started catching our fish Pops had taken the time to take a good solid tree branch with a V on it, and we would feed the branch through the gills, I was the biggest, so I was the mule carrying our bounty. We did a lot of walking , in rubber boats no less, and as you all know the rocks can be mighty slippery. I was starting to get tired and our bounty was adding up, fourteen and counting. I never complained about the weight, I did not want to be a wimp.
Then it happened. I rounded a corner, and hit some very slippery rocks, and down I went into the creek. Pops seeing me go down and the branch with the fish on it fall from my hands, yelled, “Grab the branch!”
Too late…water was too fast, and hours of work all down the creek..In essence, I was up the creek with no paddle.
You could see the frustration on Pops face, and well I was so upset, that I said no more fishing for me and maybe we will get lucky and find them down the creek somewhere. Pops said, “It’s okay son, not your fault, these things happen, let’s catch more.”
I was so determined to find this missing bounty, that I took off bears or not and went around every little nook and cranny in search of them. It was starting to get late and I was running out of time.
Now in earlier stories, I have maintained that you have to have 50% skill and 50% luck in hunting and fishing and this was no different. I had all but given up, when I came around this corner and there was this tree limb, that was broken and across the creek forming a little back jetty. It was very frothy, and I saw this flash of silver, upon looking closer, I could not believe my eyes, it was our branch full of fish, minus two, hey I ‘ll take it!
Boy was I pumped up! So excited that I didn’t say anything. Pops was calling my name, I headed for the car.
I beat them to the car and as Pops was walking calling my name I yelled at the car. Pops was happy to see me and said, “We caught four more, how did you make out?”
With this big grin, I said, “Re-caught twelve of the fourteen!!”
I held up the branch and his mouth dropped.
“Son that is amazing! How did you do that in such a short time?”
Then I started to laugh as I told him how I had found them.
Wow! He was one proud Pop as he said to me, “Horseshoes up your ass, son! Happy that you have them!”
We were happy campers. We got home and Pops told my mom and sisters what had happened. Mom laughed and said, “Thank God that he did not fall from your good books!’
I looked up and said Thank-you Lord!
Another tail from the Squirrell’s Nest at Big Bear Outfitters – Nova Scotia from Brian “Bear” Squirrell your Nova Scotia Hunting and Fishing Guide.