Getting there: The fishing vehicle

Most of us are not lucky enough to live on a stream, pond, lake or river and few of us live within walking distance to a fishing hole.

Those who are lucky and can fish in their own back yard will sometimes travel many miles to get to other places to fish. As a kid I was always walking to fish Horseleg Creek. My father and his fishing buddies would often travel by car to various places to fish. My dad finally bought a Jon boat, a trailer and a trailer hitch.

I remember rod tips being broken in car doors or snapped off when a window was rolled up, and many times several rods would be placed with the tip ends sticking out the window as we went down the highway. We discovered when rods were left in the boat and the trailer hit a big bump, it would send a rod flying out of the boat. It seemed that the life expectancy of the fishing rods was not much more than the fish that we were going after. Some of the rods were salvageable. Usually a new tip guide was attached and the now short rod was given to a kid, sometimes me. Cars and fishing rods were destined for trouble. My father solved that. He bought a Rambler station wagon.

The station wagon turned out to be a good fishing vehicle. I remember many trips taking my father and one of my uncles to Armuchee or Big Cedar creeks with all of us piled into the station wagon. They slid the Jon boat as far into the vehicle as possible, the rods stayed assembled and were laid in the boat. My mother and I would drive to the bridge at the end of the day to pick up the weary fishermen. I usually sat on a boat seat next to the fish. Everyone thought the Rambler was the perfect fishing vehicle until my father tore the muffler off driving into Bear Creek. My dad bragged about the 18inch brown trout he caught but my mother was very upset about the muffler.

Fast forward, it’s the early ’70s and I bought a Chevelle, not a good choice for mountain roads. I decided to drive into Jacks River for three days of camping and fishing before it was to become the part of the Cohutta Wilderness. I had a good time, ate trout and frog legs and knocked a hole in my gas tank. I cut a plug from a young oak limb and hammered it into the tank with a river rock. When I got home, I had the gas tank welded and declared that a 1969 Chevelle is not a good trout fishing car.

In the ’80s, after using a van while I was in rock bands, I become addicted to the common cargo van. Vans are roomy and have a wall to hang multiple spinning rods and my fly rods could stay put together on a ceiling rack. Of course, there was room for a bed with storage underneath. About the same time, I began canoeing to access areas on streams that were far from roads. The van easily holds two canoes on top, with room for a kayak or two inside, and also was able to fit people and a canoe inside if needed on some whitewater trips. A van seemed to be a perfect fishing vehicle. It has high ground clearance, plenty of storage for rods, reels, waders, paddles, canoes, spare clothes coolers and sleeping quarters for overnight trips. What more could you need?

The biggest issue with vans has to be lack of rear end traction. After several trips where the van got stuck because of the light rear end, I began carrying a “come-along” and a cable to get unstuck. The thing that is missing from my perfect fishing vehicle is 4-wheel drive.

Almost everyone I know who fishes a lot has a vehicle that is dedicated to outdoor activities. Many anglers own small- to medium-size SUVs and have bought special attachments to hold their fly rods. This rod holder is attached to the roof rack of the car. Just slide into a tube a fully assembled rod with reel, line and fly and you’re ready to go. This gives the angler additional fishing time.

For those who rarely fly fish, fly rods are usually broken down to 3 or 4 pieces and stored in a short rod tube. A fly fisherman’s arrival at the stream usually begins by taking the rod from the tube, assembling the rod, attaching the reel and then threading the line through the guides and attaching a fly.

I know that most anglers remember their first trips to the fishing hole but I feel many will remember the car or truck rides that got them there just as well. The excitement of an adventure coupled with friends and relatives that came along helps to make the fishing trip only more memorable. I bet that all who are reading this can still see their car and even remember the color. Cars have played some big roles in every one’s life. I am glad one took me fishing.

Fishing is a great activity. You still have to get “there” whether you have a truck, car, SUV or a van. Just go fishing.

Paul DiPrima of the Trout Unlimited Cohutta Chapter can be reached at PaulDiPrima@ aol.com. The opinions in Talking

Trout are his own. Unless specifically stated, they do not reflect the thoughts or policies of TU on the state or national level.