Gauge Steel
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My Regards.
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Weasel Forges Ahead
- Thread starter Weaselcracker
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SnarlyWeed
New Member
Hey friends. Hope everyone and their plants are all well, and thank you for dropping in here while I was away.
I got back a week ago but have been dealing with a bunch of life's hurdles and so I haven't been online. The auto watering system didn't work out due to operator stupidity, but most of the plants survived a thirsty 9 days. Strawberry Blue died and the grafted sativa lost almost all of her foliage but will pull through ok I think.
Among a small pile of non-plant related mini tragedies in the last three weeks, my most beloved animal friend died in my arms this morning after a week of trying hard to nurse her back to health. I don't need to explain how that feels, to anyone who's been through it.
And to be honest it's been nice to have the internet off for the last few weeks. I may have discovered a new sort of iPhone addiction- the addiction of keeping it turned off. But I know I'll be back here soon enough, to get this journal back on track, once I weather these last few storms.
Welcome Bobrown. And Nivek -the fishing was good. Had an epic battle catching a 97 pound halibut from my kayak. 97% luck of course, and a whole lot that could have gone wrong there, but I got the fish in the end.
Again I hope everyone is well, I wish you all the best, and I will talk to you again soon, or at least soon-ish.
Weasel, very sorry to hear of your loss. My animals mean the world to me as well, and when one passes on it takes its toll. They are in a better place now, but I still feel their presence every day.
dynamo1
Well-Known Member
my condolences, family critters are such a blessing
kelticBlue
Well-Known Member
Best, WC.
Heya friend,,
So sad to hear of your friends passing,, never gets any easier, harder maybe as we age. My two friends in my yard, and myself, send nothing but the best karma and wishes your way
As to the epic fishing adventure you had, I just have to ask how you got the fish in? Certainly not into the kayak, so, you got to shore? Wow, what a story that will be to tell, over and over,, great stuff weaseley,, chat soon
So sad to hear of your friends passing,, never gets any easier, harder maybe as we age. My two friends in my yard, and myself, send nothing but the best karma and wishes your way
As to the epic fishing adventure you had, I just have to ask how you got the fish in? Certainly not into the kayak, so, you got to shore? Wow, what a story that will be to tell, over and over,, great stuff weaseley,, chat soon
Hey friends. Hope everyone and their plants are all well, and thank you for dropping in here while I was away.
I got back a week ago but have been dealing with a bunch of life's hurdles and so I haven't been online. The auto watering system didn't work out due to operator stupidity, but most of the plants survived a thirsty 9 days. Strawberry Blue died and the grafted sativa lost almost all of her foliage but will pull through ok I think.
Among a small pile of non-plant related mini tragedies in the last three weeks, my most beloved animal friend died in my arms this morning after a week of trying hard to nurse her back to health. I don't need to explain how that feels, to anyone who's been through it.
And to be honest it's been nice to have the internet off for the last few weeks. I may have discovered a new sort of iPhone addiction- the addiction of keeping it turned off. But I know I'll be back here soon enough, to get this journal back on track, once I weather these last few storms.
Welcome Bobrown. And Nivek -the fishing was good. Had an epic battle catching a 97 pound halibut from my kayak. 97% luck of course, and a whole lot that could have gone wrong there, but I got the fish in the end.
Again I hope everyone is well, I wish you all the best, and I will talk to you again soon, or at least soon-ish.
Hey bro.. first and foremost many many condolences and wishes of love your way... my wife and I went thru the same ordeal on 4/22 so its still fresh and I wish you and your family well wishes and much much more happiness coming down the road. Life always ends and life always begins, happiness you take with you.
Wait.. 97# halibut from a Kayak.. pics or it didn't happen... fish only have 1 tail... unless no pics. Just sayin. That's freaking awesome.
Glad to see you're back and so so sorry for your loss! My prayers are with you and your family.
OH DUDE! Of course. What was I thinking. Geez.... ya don't expect a fish tale from Weas. My guard was down!
Pic's or not...it's a great visual in my mind...lolool...sucks to lose furry family...having lost three over the years(one was a highway accident...the others illness...we called it quits...miss having them around...but...between our changing lifestyle and the cost of treatment when problems arise(chemo for pets??...I draw a line!)...condolences WC...whether you replace or not...cheerz...h00k...
- Thread starter
- #1,049
Thank you for the kind words. I guess it's totally obvious that losing an especially dear animal has happened to almost everyone, but it still makes me feel better hearing that people actually get it. In this case she got sick from someone else's negligence while I was away. Not that this matters now, and I'm not even going to tell the person- but in these cases it's really hard to not blame oneself and say - what if...
I didn't mean to end up right back here posting - but wtf. Don't get me wrong- it's not that l am down or depressed and life has turned black or anything like that at all- not at all. Mainly I just realized in the last few weeks how much more time I have in the day without the internet addiction, and life is a little deeper also- and how nice it is to just say fuck it and ignore that pile of 'important' emails and texts and phone calls. And since I've had a lot on my plate anyway, it feels good to focus on some actual important things without constantly looking over my shoulder at the phone. So I'm going to keep doing that for a while longer.
As for the fish- that size of halibut is nice- but not so big that I would have mentioned it if it wasn't caught from a kayak, and if Nivek hadn't asked.
I've caught plenty of smaller halibut before this way- in the 30 pound range, and other types of fish- and it's a real challenge in a kayak. Every fish feels about three times as big as it does fighting it out of a real boat. For bigger fish I try to tire them out without dying (me dying- that is) , then get close enough to slit their throats and let them 'calm down' before dragging them on to my lap. With salmon and some other fish they won't stay still long enough for that so it's a matter of gaffing them or just quickly flipping them into my lap while all hell breaks loose and I hang on for dear life. Usually half the blood in the boat is mine.
In this case I'd sort of thought ahead. Or rather my girlfriend, who had asked me 'what if?' had gone to shore to beachcomb a couple floats and arrived back in the nick of time and I eventually managed to clip those to the line. It dragged them under but I had enough line barely that I managed to play it out over a couple hours time as it dragged me around. There's a bit more to the story as I almost went over a couple times and I did lose the whole wooden hand-jig board several times when it pulled too hard- but managed to get it again each time when it unspooled enough to float up to the surface again.
I dragged it to the shore eventually, swamped myself in the waves getting out on the rocks, scrambled up on the shore and dragged it in and bashed it.
I had to drag it behind me, attached to the floats, to get to a spot with less waves and current. Funny you should mention it. 'Have you read the Old Man and the Sea?' is exactly what I said to my gf as we left shore. I had to fasten the fish's mouth shut (with a fish hook) cause it wanted to stay wide open and dragged like crazy. We were kind of at the literal point of no return by then, and the tide in that spot is very strong so it was a hellish hour or more paddling full strength and barely moving, just to get around the corner to a bit less hectic spot and not get swept to Japan. Then I managed to slide the thing on top of my lap, head and tail dragging in the water, which was tippy and awkward and slimy- but after that I made better time till I could get to a landing spot and lash it on top of the kayak. Caught that thing in the afternoon and it was eleven at night when we made it to where we wanted to camp, soaking wet and freezing. I didn't do much fishing on the rest of the trip- decided to stick with more relaxing stuff.
We both wished we had our cameras out for the most epic parts cause it was pretty funny at times, but they were packed away and we had our hands full. This one is from after we had it all under control and were heading to camp for the night.
I didn't mean to end up right back here posting - but wtf. Don't get me wrong- it's not that l am down or depressed and life has turned black or anything like that at all- not at all. Mainly I just realized in the last few weeks how much more time I have in the day without the internet addiction, and life is a little deeper also- and how nice it is to just say fuck it and ignore that pile of 'important' emails and texts and phone calls. And since I've had a lot on my plate anyway, it feels good to focus on some actual important things without constantly looking over my shoulder at the phone. So I'm going to keep doing that for a while longer.
As for the fish- that size of halibut is nice- but not so big that I would have mentioned it if it wasn't caught from a kayak, and if Nivek hadn't asked.
I've caught plenty of smaller halibut before this way- in the 30 pound range, and other types of fish- and it's a real challenge in a kayak. Every fish feels about three times as big as it does fighting it out of a real boat. For bigger fish I try to tire them out without dying (me dying- that is) , then get close enough to slit their throats and let them 'calm down' before dragging them on to my lap. With salmon and some other fish they won't stay still long enough for that so it's a matter of gaffing them or just quickly flipping them into my lap while all hell breaks loose and I hang on for dear life. Usually half the blood in the boat is mine.
In this case I'd sort of thought ahead. Or rather my girlfriend, who had asked me 'what if?' had gone to shore to beachcomb a couple floats and arrived back in the nick of time and I eventually managed to clip those to the line. It dragged them under but I had enough line barely that I managed to play it out over a couple hours time as it dragged me around. There's a bit more to the story as I almost went over a couple times and I did lose the whole wooden hand-jig board several times when it pulled too hard- but managed to get it again each time when it unspooled enough to float up to the surface again.
I dragged it to the shore eventually, swamped myself in the waves getting out on the rocks, scrambled up on the shore and dragged it in and bashed it.
I had to drag it behind me, attached to the floats, to get to a spot with less waves and current. Funny you should mention it. 'Have you read the Old Man and the Sea?' is exactly what I said to my gf as we left shore. I had to fasten the fish's mouth shut (with a fish hook) cause it wanted to stay wide open and dragged like crazy. We were kind of at the literal point of no return by then, and the tide in that spot is very strong so it was a hellish hour or more paddling full strength and barely moving, just to get around the corner to a bit less hectic spot and not get swept to Japan. Then I managed to slide the thing on top of my lap, head and tail dragging in the water, which was tippy and awkward and slimy- but after that I made better time till I could get to a landing spot and lash it on top of the kayak. Caught that thing in the afternoon and it was eleven at night when we made it to where we wanted to camp, soaking wet and freezing. I didn't do much fishing on the rest of the trip- decided to stick with more relaxing stuff.
We both wished we had our cameras out for the most epic parts cause it was pretty funny at times, but they were packed away and we had our hands full. This one is from after we had it all under control and were heading to camp for the night.
That's awesome, well and crazy 
quite the sight on the kayak. Yeah it totally reminded me of that book is why I mentioned it, even though that was back in Jr High....gawd that was over 40 years ago, now I'm depressed 
quite the sight on the kayak. Yeah it totally reminded me of that book is why I mentioned it, even though that was back in Jr High....gawd that was over 40 years ago, now I'm depressed
I'm highly supportive of these ideas. Always been a fan of the 'kill your TV' ideas. Plus, why would you take one second of your life with that whole mess when the stories of life are so active in your world?
Thanks so much for that cool fishing tale! You painted a BEAUTIFUL picture for us with words and then filled in any blanks with a photo.
Annabanana
Well-Known Member
Hey Weasel
I'm sorry to hear about your loss. I lost my sweet little dog this year also - slipped a disc on a daily walk and her two hind legs were instantly paralysed. I could've got one of those little dog wheel-chair set ups but my lovely Vet doesn't agree with them. My last dog - a bull terrier called 'Sensi Emilia', got bitten by a snake and died...20 years ago. It took me 12 years to get over it enough to get another rescue dog.
As for the phone thing - a few weeks ago mine started asking me for a code I've never had. I'm due for a new one in September and I'm enjoying not having it so much, I'm considering just waiting the 2 months!
Thanks for posting that amazing pic!! It looks like a magnificent place for a break.(And as a Lit. major, I love 'The Old Man and The Sea' reference).
Keep your chin up, Weasel. And I admire your understanding attitude r.e. the cause of her passing. Respect.
P.S. 'The Sativa Solo Cup' seems to have attracted a lot of interest! I personally think you should keep your voucher. Bragging rights would suffice as a prize (IMO anyway!)
I'm sorry to hear about your loss. I lost my sweet little dog this year also - slipped a disc on a daily walk and her two hind legs were instantly paralysed. I could've got one of those little dog wheel-chair set ups but my lovely Vet doesn't agree with them. My last dog - a bull terrier called 'Sensi Emilia', got bitten by a snake and died...20 years ago. It took me 12 years to get over it enough to get another rescue dog.
As for the phone thing - a few weeks ago mine started asking me for a code I've never had. I'm due for a new one in September and I'm enjoying not having it so much, I'm considering just waiting the 2 months!
Thanks for posting that amazing pic!! It looks like a magnificent place for a break.(And as a Lit. major, I love 'The Old Man and The Sea' reference).
Keep your chin up, Weasel. And I admire your understanding attitude r.e. the cause of her passing. Respect.
P.S. 'The Sativa Solo Cup' seems to have attracted a lot of interest! I personally think you should keep your voucher. Bragging rights would suffice as a prize (IMO anyway!)
Annabanana
Well-Known Member
Oh and btw; I've never seen anyone fishing in a kayak...It's kinda Bear Grylls-esque, Weasel!
Twox was here.
Just stopping by to say hi..
Just stopping by to say hi..
dynamo1
Well-Known Member
Peace Weasel.... congrats on taking a moment to truly "see" your surroundings. That fish must have been exciting from a kayak! Your crazy.. lol. Do you still have concerns for cold water this time of year? That would make things even more exciting.
I hope all is well in your world friend. Sorry for your loss. Dogs hold a special place in our world. Peace!
I hope all is well in your world friend. Sorry for your loss. Dogs hold a special place in our world. Peace!
Kriaze
Well-Known Member
Condolences regarding your loss Weasel. I know how you feel regarding the internet, it's just too shallow at times and a break is as good as a rest. The fish tale had me wanting more and seeing that Halibut strapped to the Kayak had me dreaming of a different way of life, quite thought provoking considering I was asked to move to Alaska for work with a friend back in 1990 but it was too big a step for this 16 year old fella, if's buts and what could have beens.
You'll have some good eating for a long time there, can't beat a good slab of Halibut
You'll have some good eating for a long time there, can't beat a good slab of Halibut
The Celt
Well-Known Member
Hey Weasel, sorry to hear of your loss mate. Dogs are awesome companions, especially when you are someone who spends much time in the wilderness. Sometimes I miss the days when it was just me and the dog living off grid, maybe one day I will return to that life lol
Awesome fishing adventure
Awesome fishing adventure
weaseley, friend, compadre,, wow, omg, fug, ooo,
this is truly one of the grooviest pics i have ever seen, knowing a bit of the story behind this is an honour indeed
this photo should be seen, by more
i have a tiny west coast halibut story myself, what a coincidence, eh??
whilst me and the missus were there, in that there city, we rode our bikes, as usual , into town,, and while passing the local fishing boat dock, we noticed, for the first time since we were there, a fishing boat unloading it's catch on the dock
halibut, of all sizes
it was interesting to watch the process so we rode down closer for a look see,, and we looked and saw
one of the workers saw us watching and yelled over to us and asked us if we wanted a free fish, i guess maybe some were too small for commercial use.
we yelled back, 'sure', 'but we have no way to carry it. i did, fortunately, have a small back pack on. he told us he would put the fish in a plastic bag for us.
anyway, the only place i had to put the fish, probably about a fifteen pounder, was in my tiny backpack,
we made quite a sight riding back to our camp with this halibut in my backpack, the tail stuck way out over my head,, we got several honks and laughs from passersby
we got back to camp and the host filleted it and we cooked it up fresh and shared it amongst anyone who was around,, tasty indeed
cheers friend,, truly epic tail, and tale,, ha
oh, btw, cool kayaks too, and i love the hairdooo,, ha
this is truly one of the grooviest pics i have ever seen, knowing a bit of the story behind this is an honour indeed
this photo should be seen, by more
i have a tiny west coast halibut story myself, what a coincidence, eh??
whilst me and the missus were there, in that there city, we rode our bikes, as usual , into town,, and while passing the local fishing boat dock, we noticed, for the first time since we were there, a fishing boat unloading it's catch on the dock
halibut, of all sizes
it was interesting to watch the process so we rode down closer for a look see,, and we looked and saw
one of the workers saw us watching and yelled over to us and asked us if we wanted a free fish, i guess maybe some were too small for commercial use.
we yelled back, 'sure', 'but we have no way to carry it. i did, fortunately, have a small back pack on. he told us he would put the fish in a plastic bag for us.
anyway, the only place i had to put the fish, probably about a fifteen pounder, was in my tiny backpack,
we made quite a sight riding back to our camp with this halibut in my backpack, the tail stuck way out over my head,, we got several honks and laughs from passersby
we got back to camp and the host filleted it and we cooked it up fresh and shared it amongst anyone who was around,, tasty indeed
cheers friend,, truly epic tail, and tale,, ha
oh, btw, cool kayaks too, and i love the hairdooo,, ha