Still learning lessons..

Lesson #1..again: Leash it or lose it

I can't believe after 4 years of this i am still doing stupid shit like this. Pure laziness and complacency led me to lose my VHF radio overboard yesterday on our just as miserable Sturgeon fishing journey..

If you want to keep it, leash it! It might be the first trip or the one hundreth trip, it will fall overboard unless it's small enough to fit in a zipped pocket

The small expensive electronics I keep on a lanyard on my neck.

The rods and landing nets I have trouble with because leashes get in the way all the time, so I tend not use them. I even managed to lose my heaviest rod and reel out of my rowboat last year. Also my favorite rubber landing net when borrowed one of Noggin Yakker's yaks.

Lesson #1..again: Leash it or lose it

If you want to keep it, leash it!

Hmmmm, where have I heard that before?

Welcome to the DAMHIK club

And I still don't leash anything ...

 

-Allen

What's a leash? 



 

What's a leash? 



 

You might think it's a bandana around your neck....but someone else holds the other end. 

In a previous life, I once wore my Malamute's pinch collar to work as a symbol of the workplace enviornment
but neglected the leash . All kidding aside. 2 years ago during Humpie season, Yakchick dumped into the salt and we lost around $1000.00 of gear including a nice digital camera, rod & reel and untold other stuff. I still am hit and miss regarding use of a leash. Maybe I need to be the loser of gear to use them full time?

Well if you dont want to leash anything.. from someone whos learned about what floats and what dont.... you can always add a small floater to the items to make them floatable . and fi they do float you need to fidn a way to keep them close..

said from the one that lost a VHF Radio at the bottom of the hood canal. they dont float
Or the one who let her paddle float away and her  fishing buddy ahd to go get it for her.


SG

I like to leash the kelp clip to the boat .....

And I still don't leash anything ...

 

-Allen

In all honesty..I probably wont either

Lesson #1..again: Leash it or lose it

 Pure laziness and complacency led me to lose my VHF radio overboard yesterday on our just as miserable Sturgeon fishing journey..

That's why I love my ICOM M34.  On my 1st trip with it, I fogot to connect the lanyard to my PFD and lost it while crashing thru a wave.  Luckily it floats and bsteves was able to scoop it up as he paddled past. 

Built in Lanyards don't count as leashes do they?

-Spot-

I leash my paddle due to one bad experience but now that I carry a spare paddle I plan on ditching the leash.  It's a pain.  Now having said that in two full years of kayak fishing, I have lost 2 rods, 2 cell phones, a loaded tackle box, a pair of sandals, and one cheapo point and shoot camera.  I think whatever money I saved in gas has gone to replacing gear.  Now except for my all purpose saltwater medium to heavy jigging application rod (Shimanao trevala with Avet sx) everything I bring into the kayak seems to be less than $75 total for rod and reel.  Between all the saltwater and higher risk of loss, I just can't bring myself to take my  Gloomis rods and high end reels out there...at least yet.

I think I will still leash my downrigger though the thought of that falling overboard  and flipping the kayak when it hits the end of the leash seems like a worse outcome than losing the old downrigger...

A year or two ago, Kid Pisco and I were anchored up with a couple of other members, waiting for the elusive sturgie bite. One-who-shall-remain-nameless was also anchored and had his paddle in clips on the side of the yak. His yak was yawing around from the current so he was pretty distracted and was having to mess around with his anchor gear. After a little bit, I hear this  quiet "Oh, sh*t".    Next, I hear him call his wife and start talking about having her pick him up close to where we were anchored, instead returning to the launch. Turned out he had somehow knocked the paddle out of the clips and it sank/drifted off.

I interrupted his call and convinced him that there were enough of us to get him safely back to the launch.  (I think he had left a spare paddle back in another yak.) We did manage, and the only thing wounded was some pride.

When we got back to his house, there was a new paddle waiting for him!!

Moral(s):

• Leash it if you don't want to lose it.
• Bring a spare if you can't do with out it.
• Marry well!

Addendum to previous message: The one thing I always have on a leash is my paddle.

Mr Mayor .. and if i remember right said mentioned no names wife wont let him live that one down either.   Miss fishing with him ..