Trouting, kayaking, wind and yoga
We had quite a wild Victoria Day weekend, weather-wise that is, even by Newfoundland and Labrador climatological standards. I’m writing on the day after and I just read that it was one of the windiest 24th of May holidays on record.
Friday was a lovely day and I spent it for the most part spreading topsoil via ATV dump cart and square-top shovel. Great fun and even better exercise, the excitement continued throughout a good chunk of Saturday, albeit intermittently because our youngest grandchild Matilda was out around the bay for her first solo visit. She’s too little to take trouting, although my manual labour was cushioned by ample play breaks. She loved the new swing set I built.
Why would a lover of all things outdoors be spreading soil on our festive opening up of summer big weekend? I’m very much opportunistic. Tilly is only 17 months old. As soon as she’s old enough she will be in my canoe with a fishing pole, guaranteed. But I squeezed in the yard work, essential to get done, to free up fishing time another day, and I was outdoors. The wind howled in my ears as I raked. Oh and wait. I stacked a bunch of firewood between the jigs and the reels. The wind huffed and puffed from the southwest but couldn’t blow it down. I’m getting better at it. Stacking wood without braces and shores is really a bit of an art. So I will be free to fish another day. Salmon fishing is right around the corner. I’ll be ready.
HANDY WEBSITE
Speaking of wind and weather, there’s a great website called www.windy. com, and it’s fantastic for us outdoorsy folks. Many of our commercial fishers use it and I fully understand why. I discovered the website while trying to pick a decent day for turre hunting this past winter. Writing space nowhere near allows me to tell you all the useful features of this forecasting tool. In short, the graphics are absolutely wicked and you can zoom in and out to check conditions anywhere in the world. It monitors and tracks wave conditions, sea temperatures, winds speeds, cloud cover, rain, snow, air quality,
fog and the list goes on. You can even adjust a slider to get wind speeds at whatever elevation. Wow. Check it out. There’s also an app available for your phone. Tell me what you think. If you are interested in the outdoors you must also be keen on weather stuff.
According to Windy, we had gusts to about 70-km/h here in Spaniard’s Bay over the weekend. But you know, how the wind affects you at any particular location depends on local topography. Over the weekend, I’d load my cart from my clay pile in relative calm. Only the swishing and hissing of swaying pines and birch told the tumultuous tale. Then I’d tow my load south to the other end of my property, just 500 feet, and it was enough to blow your head off. That’s where my woodpile held fast. The bay lays to the south and south to southwest wind blows vicious out of the
Shearstown Valley. The same wind from the west to east would hardly rustle turnip tops. Trees protect our house and north end garden so you hardly feel a breeze no matter what. Our first house overlooking Trinity Bay was on a hill that took wind from all directions, and I vowed never again. Shag the view and rattling windows.
KAYAK TIPS
Do you remember I vowed to be trouting while you read my last piece in the Saturday paper? It was May 15 and the first day of spring and summer trouting. I put all my projects on hold and loaded my kayak in my truck and drove off to my favourite pond. The weather was breezy with wind from the west, but sunny and decently warm given the season. I’m still waiting on my new sit-atop angling kayak due to COVID-19 delays so
I took my 10-foot sit-inside recreation kayak. That turned out a less than perfect choice. I should have been paddling my trusty canoe.
You might remember me saying previously how I was introduced to kayaking through a chance meeting with Barry Grady, who is now counted amongst my best friends. Barry is a kayak fishing guru with vast experience. I learned from the best and in a properly designed fishing kayak rigged for the very purpose, complete with rod holders, a good anchoring system and paddle tethers. Not so with my department store recreation kayak. That said, this sort of kayak could certainly be modified to function adequately as an angling machine. But for me it’s not worth the time right now with a proper craft in transit to me.
Let me illustrate the limitations of a non-fishing boat.
I’m launching and trying to arrange my gear so I can get at it on the water. Not looking good but I managed to bungee my sling bag where I could reach it barely. Good thing I do yoga. I had my rod poked butt end forward down around my feet where I might not break it, and it didn’t interfere too seriously with my paddling stroke. I gave up on anchoring for another day. A side on mooring position in any degree of wind is useless. Where I planned to begin fishing there was a guy fly fishing from shore. I chatted with him and decided to do a drift and cast session. The paddle was in my way, the boat drifted too fast and I don’t like my butt that low while casting. I decided to fish from shore further along.
TAKING A TUMBLE
That’s a dandy fishy looking point with this wind. There’s lots of rocks so it might not be easy beaching and getting myself out of the cockpit. Siton-tops are much easier to jump out of. Number one, I did not fancy breaking my rod so I tossed it in on the bank. Then I secured the paddle. Ok here goes. Have you ever exited a boat next to a high bank with just the tops of rocks to step on? Good thing I do yoga, but it wasn’t enough this time. I used my triceps to raise my butt and get my legs in under me. I secured my balance and maneuvered my left foot to perch on a submerged boulder. I can do this floated through my mind, now feeling agile and proud. Then disaster, the kayak began an unplanned offshore drift. It was either embrace doing the full splits, advanced yoga, or find another slippery perch for my right foot, and fast.
I missed by just that much. Into the deep water went my leg followed by the rest of me. I managed to keep a grip on the kayak so I wouldn’t have to swim to retrieve it. It was an interesting dance, and I’m happy nobody was watching. It’s been a while since I tumbled in, very refreshing indeed. Anyway, it was sunny so I lay on the bank and dried off a bit. The rest of the day went better and I chose better shore landings.
By the way, rubber knee boots filled with water can be a struggle to get off. I need more yoga.