Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Grubology

It was a perfectly beautiful day on the water.  We got an early start while it was still brisk.  The marshes are starting to brown up now.  We heard the clapper rails making their sounds as we trolled along the banks of the waving Spartina.  The oyster catchers were picking along the banks in flocks of 15-20 birds.  I think that they are so interesting and well adapted to the habitat in which they feed. 

I taught C. some of the finer points of grubology which is essentially about how to twitch a little rubbery Mister Twister and make the fish think that it is something enticing to eat.  We looked at all the different grubs and decided to use one of the white tailed ones with a sparkling head.  I have a box of grubs, a box of plugs, a box of hooks, and other boxes of various secret weapons for luring fish to bite. I've learned over the years that one can never have too much tackle or too many grubs.  I seldom lose one to a fish but must have lost hundreds of dollars worth of grubs and lures from snagging on oysters.  It's just one of the hazards of fishing.  

I guess the lesson in grubology paid off because by noon, we had caught eleven of the much prized spotted sea trout.  We also fished with some popping plugs and finger mullet.  But the sparkling grubs were the biggest draw.  The total catch for the day was 16.  Every one was released except one poor fish that had swallowed the hook on the grub.  I hate when that happens.  But it meant some tasty fried fish for dinner which helped absolve some of the guilt. 

One of the unique things that we saw today was the strand feeding of dolphins in the shallow waters of some of the tidal creeks.  Basically what they do is move into shallow water as the tide drops and corral the fish there so that they can eat them.  And sometimes they throw themselves right up on the bank in pursuit of mullet.  It is always a thrilling sight to see.  Dolphins have a particular joie de vivre that I love.

It was just a great day to be outside.  I don't have much else to share other than to be grateful to have had as much fun, as many laughs, and as much beauty as I could take in for this day.  Good night!

12 comments:

  1. I could sense the serenity of the trip in your words as you described the day. Keeping my eyes wide open to the little glories in the world around me has proved to be crucial to my feeling of belonging, my joy at being here in my own life.

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  2. Love to watch oystercatchers and dolphins -- great pics too Syd.

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  3. And you were concerend about staying busy during retirement.
    LOL

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  4. Excellent! We've seen the dolphins feeding like that in the rivers here. It's always amazing.
    Being on the water really does make a good day.
    Thanks for sharing, Syd.

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  5. Glad you had such a great day. Thanks for sharing it with us, especially those of us poor slobs stuck in an office.

    Love,

    SB

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  6. Your pictures help to bring along into the beauty of your day. What a great way to share. Even the tackle box, oh so colorful, has it's organized delight. Thank you.

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  7. your photos are magnificent! Glad you had such a wonderful day!

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  8. Oh the out-of-doors! You chose a wonderful place to live, a life partner with whom you can still "grub it" out AND your profession left a lot of life in you yet to experience these gifts.

    Beautiful share.

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  9. Gorgeous photos. Makes me want to be there. I love the way you see the beauty all around you. It's always there, but I frequently fail to notice it. Thanks so much for this reminder.

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  10. Has anyone ever told you that you seem to lead a charmed life ... on paper at least !
    I get a lot of vicarious peace from you entries ... and lots of knowledge about Al-anon too.

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  11. Sharing a great day outside says so much that can't be put into words because we have all come through hell to reach the great days. Enjoy it..you've earned it!

    ♥namaste♥

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  12. that is so cool about the dolphins..now you had a blast out there fishing...it is always so calming...

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