I found it hard to drift and fish so I mainly worked the oars so Charlie could fish. It was a pretty float and I was seeing new water. I noticed some logs just under the water and some pointed upstream and some downstream. Hope I remember them when we head back to the car.
It sure is a pretty river and I always enjoy floating down. Charlie started catching a few fish.
It was a small trout but a hungry one. We were hoping to get some smallmouth bass on this trip.
The water was slightly green and I had trouble seen the snags and stumps. I didn't anchor very often because it is easy to slide your anchor into a snag and then have to cut your line. That 30 # anchor costs $40!
When we left, I noticed that it was a 3 hour float to Bear Creek. We had been on the river for 4 hours and still weren't there.
This picture shows the oar locks that keeps the blades aligned with the water.
The thin plastic container is slit on the top lid to keep the junk monofilament line inside.
About 7:45 pm I decided that since we hadn't reached Bear Creek and it would be getting dark, so we better start back up-river to our vehicle at High Bridge. My float boat has a 4 hp motor with a .8 gallon gas tank built into the motor. It fired right up and away we went. Going upstream against the current is slow going. After about one hour, the motor quits. It is out of gas and we haven't even made it up to Blacksmith Bayou!
It is now after 8:00 pm and nobody is on the river. I only need one gallon of regular gas as it is a 4 stroke engine. I wonder if anyone will go by with some regular gas to spare?
Here we are south of Blacksmith Bayou without water, food, a light, gas but at least we have our cell phones. We call Charlie's wife, Linda, at my house. We tell her not to expect us for dinner and not before midnight at this rate. Then I call my buddy, Jack, to call a friend with a boat and some gas. Jack says he will send his son, Guy, down in the kayak from High Bridge. I also ask for a flashlight as I wonder what time he will arrive. It is just after 8:00 pm and it took us 2 hours just to float down to Blacksmith Bayou. I start getting nervous.
Charle just starts fishing while we wait. I pace back and forth.
Charlie is enjoying himself and lands a nice smallmouth bass.
At 8:25 pm Guy comes around the corner to a cheer and hardy welcome from the troops! He made it down in about 20 minutes. He is sweating like a dog and has supplies. He hands us a poptart and a flashlight. Then he holds up a 1 1/2 gallon gas can. What a welcomed sight.
WE put gas in and start the engine. What do we do with the kayak? We tip it upside down and hold it agains the inside of the boat and we are off! We pass Blacksmith Bayou. (I am getting very tired of typing Blacksmith Bayou!) After another 45 minutes we get closer to High Bridge. Every corner looks like it is the last one only to find more river ahead. It is 9:50 pm and we are using the moonlight and remaining day light to see. Charlie is guiding me past the river obstacles and at 8:55 pm we finally sight the landing. It gets very dark at 9:55 pm, we just made it! Later Linda said she wasn't worried because she prayed for us. I was praying also and somehow our night adventure turned out to a great story of how we survived on the river one night. Well, anyone up for a river float ? I promise to carry extra gas!
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