A disaster of a weekend

[10 brownie points]

What a disaster of a weekend, the brother-in-law and myself had organised a weekend of mayfly fishing on Lough Derg out of a place called Mountshannon.

To start with due to unforeseen circumstances with work we were late leaving home.

To add to this we had a puncture on one tyre under the lake boat trailer on the way.

It was well after 8.30pm before arrived and we decided to take a spin out anyway just to have a look around.

Half way to the first island and the engine started to give a little trouble, but nothing that couldn't be sorted.

We didn't see any sign of a fish, but went to bed happy with 4 or 5 pints of Guinness to help us sleep.

We woke the next morning to find that there wasn't a cloud in the sky or a ripple on the lake and when I say it was calm I mean I have seen more ripples on a mirror.

Again there wasn't a fish to be seen so we motored around the lake until we had cruised a good way up the lake and stopped for lunch on an island to discover that the 2 ring gas cooker which we had brought had developed a leak and we had barely enough gas to boil the water for a cup of tea. there went the lunch.

After getting back into the boat we found that the engine refused to start and we had to row for the rest of the weekend (hard work when you are used to a nice cushy office job). It was the same on Sunday so we fished all weekend with nothing to show for it except the blistered hands from rowing and another puncture on the way home with no spare this time so we didn't get back until nearly midnight.

Just wondering has anyone has had a similar tale to tell? :mad: :mad: :mad:

 

[ 25. May 2004, 02:33 PM: Message edited by: 10 brownie points ]

[Jeff S]

Sounds like its an experience you'll never forget. You'll be laughing about it in a years time. What are the odds you would have had two punctures in the same weekend? Will let you know which stories I have after my holiday in the states.

[10 brownie points]

Well Jeff I hope your memories are all good,

I was thinking if I used up that much bad luck on one weekend roll on the next one (does it work that way)

 

[ 26. May 2004, 01:18 PM: Message edited by: 10 brownie points ]

[malevans]

Yes one of those trips I guess, a bit like my carping trip to france I posted. The good thing is we do get to laugh about them in the end.

 

However specific to gamefishing. In 1993 to celebrate my 30th some friends from work and my brother and I went to Scotland fishing. Armed with trout fly rods and spinning gear. Anyway after picking up a home printed local guide we end up salmon fishing with lures on the wednesday on day tickets. Our first ever attempt. I lost a fish at the net and then landed an 18lb fresh run fish. My fiend lost one and landed a 10lb 2oz and our other friend landed a 7lb 10oz fish.

 

We eventually got home and wished the whole of the following year of our lives away waiting to go the following year, as we had a exclusive let this time for the full 6 day week !!!! We drove our friends and nearest and dearest crazy by talking about the trip non stop for 12 months.

 

So the great day came and we arrived to be told. A) the weekly freshet was not happening until September due to the dam having a problem, and b)the hydro generator was also out of action so the estuary was like a canal. To top that it was clear blue skies and blisteringly hot. We caught nothing, unless you count 4 escapee rainbows out of clunes bay on Loch lochy. We saw nothing. We swore alot and planned equisite torchures for the landlord for not telling us, as these problems had existed since the begining of the year.

 

We thrashed the 3.5 miles of river to foam in the heat and by Thursday were near collapse....

 

Never has a bunch of anglers gone home so p*ssed off. Many trips and fish later, we often laugh about this, well once four pints to good at least.

 

Anyway fingers crossed as we depart tomorrow to fish, wife, eldest lad and I.

[Mister Toad]

Nothing in your league I'm afraid. My last but one fly fishing trip (first this year) was disastrous for me. Finally booked the casting lesson that my wife offered to pay for as my birthday present last year. The lesson itself went well - I was definitely casting better at the end of the hour than I was at the beginning. My problems began when I went to the lake to fish - I couldn't make my mind up whether to continue casting "properly" as I had just been taught or whether to revert to my old self-taught ways. As a result I did neither and ended up making a complete horlicks of it. In two hours, I lost six flies and spent about 75% of my time undoing tangles or re-tying the leader!! I had one take which I lost when the knot gave way. All in all it was probably my worst fly fishing trip ever

 

On the plus side - I had a great day last Sunday. The weather was beautiful, the casting seemed to come together, I had very few tangles, lost one fly and caught two trout. When I got home, I found that my son had already cut the lawn for me. We had a barbecue and besides the usual sausages and burgers I cooked two fresh trout fillets with a little olive oil, salt and pepper (the other two are in the freezer)- superb

[Mister Toad]

Just read Malcolm's post (he must have put it up while I was composing mine) and I fully agree with his comment about the times that things go wrong as being the most memorable. Its like the news I guess - problems make more interesting stories. People seldom want to hear about the times when things go according to plan. Anyway its the problems that stick in the memory.

 

I'm reminded of the two anglers who booked a weeks fishing at great expense. They looked forward to it for a long time but at the end of the week all they had was one small fish between them.

 

On the way home one angler says to the other "Do you realise that that fish cost us £1,500?" To which the other replies "Its a good job we didn't catch any more then!"