Oct 15/16 - more of the same

Yes, more of the same -- fishing and winching.

I had another go at that fallen/leaning tree yesterday, getting the rope higher up the tree, setting up two pulleys and winching with the 4-wheeler. The winch on the ATC just doesn't have enough oomph though and I was going to switch to the electric winch but it was starting to rain. It drizzled most of the day which kept the blackflies away ... mostly but not completely ... and then the drizzle turned to rain.

I didn't go fishing last night due to the rain but did go out this morning. For a while the fishing was crappy ... but then turned crappie. I got 4 crappie and then they stopped biting. Just for something new I thought that I would pull up the anchor, start drifting and then lower the anchor as I got close to two little islands. It was quite windy so that didn't take long. I no sooner dropped my line in than I had a bass, small but a keeper. Within another couple of minutes I got a stronger fish on the line that immediately cut the line -- not broke, but cut. I assumed that it must be a pike so I put a wire leader on (I had switched to snelled hooks because they are better for crappie). Well, in the next hour I got several bites and two bass on the line that jumped three feet in the air and dropped the hook. Oh well.

It was cold out there, mid 40's and windy. I was having trouble getting the minnows onto the hook because my fingers weren't working. I had gloves with me but with all the action my hands were always wet.

Sandy did more work on the baseboards yesterday and most are now complete. She only has to put varathane on a few that are already conditioned and stained. I think that she's planning on starting the painting tomorrow.

I've had part of my lunch now and my hands are starting to work again. Shortly I'm going to get out the electric winch and try it on the leaning tree. I also have to go over to Simms' cottage and change the water in his big minnow container if I want them to live longer. He had a ton of minnows that will last me some time if I care for them. What the heck ... the fish are good eating.

Oh, and that reminds me, I have 5 fish on the stringer that need cleaning. I need warm/working hands for that chore. I'll take a walk over to Simms first.