The life of a nomad, tips for on the road fishin

[VSdreams]

This thread got me thinking. I have one friend who goes out 2 days at a time. Like Dark says he always knows where the bathrooms are and brings plenty in his cooler for food. This is not my style. After a day I need a shower and a bed. How many of you go out fishing for 2 or more days without going hom?

[paumanok]

I've got a week long trip coming up; ponds, breachways and outer beaches in Rhode Island. Will be staying in a cozy cottage in Charlestown.

Years back, I made frequent 3 to 5 day fishing excursions. Had an E-150 Ford Econoline with just two seats up front. In the back were my carpentry tools, camping gear (bed roll, stove, couple of gallons of fresh water), and all my fishing gear. Throughout the year.

Used whatever pull off was available if I needed to sleep. Easy enough to find a truck stop if I needed food, to wash up, to use the toilet. Thought nothing of running up at a moment's notice to fish the Niagara--salmon, steelhead. Or driving (usually non-stop) down to Okeechobee and out along the Keys.

More locally, it wasn't unusual for me to get a sudden notion to leave straight from work Friday afternoon and drive up along the Delaware River. I'd put in a canoe as far up as Hancock or Deposit and over several days fish down sometimes as far as Port Jervis. I ate what I caught: shad, trout, perch, rock bass. . . Sometimes bartered my catch with home owners on the river, either for permission to camp overnight, or for a few tomatoes and onions. A couple of hours before sun up, I'd drive straight back to work.

I think back to those days and I wonder that I was so nonchalant about the whole thing. Had no money to speak of. Damn, how many times did I putter back across the Verrazano or the Tappan Zee with my gas gauge on F... for fumes!

But they were happy times.

Fishing has always been, for me, synonymous with happy times.

Only, these days, I need the comfort of a cozy cottage. At least, most of the time.

[paumanok]

DarkSkies--in this urban setting we fish in, most of our needs can be easily met at pretty much any time of the day or night: all-night diners, all-night convenience stores, all-night gas stations.

Two essentials that come to my mind for such "nomad fishing" --

A change of clothes. Fishing in wet clothes early in the season and in the Fall, while wading in water that's hardly 50 degrees, is not only uncomfortable, it's dangerous. Hypothermia is not something to be triffled with. Especially, if you're out fishing alone.

Extra gear. I always have a second fly rod rigged and ready in the car. One night I was starting to cast after a 3/4 mile walk along the beach; I discovered the tip of my fly rod was broken. I didn't particularly enjoy the 3/4mile walk back to the car to change rods (the 3/4 mile walk back out wasn't much of a thrill either), but I didn't have to stop fishing for the night. I also keep a one-piece 7' medium-heavy spinning rod rigged up, in case the wind gets too fierce to fly fish, or if I come across a must fish spot where there's simply no room to cast a fly.

A bottle of mouth-wash in the car door might not be a bad idea. This way you don't melt the face off the convenience store clerk when you're paying for your cofffee at 3 am.

[williehookem]

Extra gear. I always have a second fly rod rigged and ready in the car. One night I was starting to cast after a 3/4 mile walk along the beach; I discovered the tip of my fly rod was broken. I didn't particularly enjoy the 3/4mile walk back to the car to change rods (the 3/4 mile walk back out wasn't much of a thrill either), but I didn't have to stop fishing for the night. I also keep a one-piece 7' medium-heavy spinning rod rigged up, in case the wind gets too fierce to fly fish, or if I come across a must fish spot where there's simply no room to cast a fly.

A bottle of mouth-wash in the car door might not be a bad idea. This way you don't melt the face off the convenience store clerk when you're paying for your cofffee at 3 am.

Extra gear
Mouthwash...priceless:

[gjb1969]

that was once me well no more only once in a while i will go out like that tite lines and good fishin to all

[RJC]

will,

You nomadic rascal. Mully and I are going to pick your brain and publish a book on your travels.

There are 24 to 30 inch striped bass in our favorite Breachway and the Blues (to 30-inches) came raging thru the Breachway just south of the us yesterday afternoon.

35 pound spawned out Chesapeke Striped bass were caught in the NY Bight on Thursday heading north to New England.

You better rig up three fly rods, a medium spinning rod and a 11 foot conventinal capable of flinging a 2.5 oz pencil popper towards the Irish coast.

If the worm hatch comes in on Memorial Day week, we will have found the Holy Grail.

See ya.

Bob

I spoke to the owner and he will try to get the wifi turned on this weekend. We are good to go for a friday arrival.

Now that I'm 70, Irequire a shower daily and a good cigar once a week.

[DarkSkies]

Paumanok, you really should think about writin a book.


Some tips:

If you keep your food in the same cooler as your bait, do NOT eat the sandwich that "slightly" got wet by the clam juices, unless you brought a few extra rolls of toilet paper.



Baby powder - don't leave home without it. Liberal applications when necessary. You can't prevent the funk in your waders, but you can prevent the funk from building up in areas that live in darkness.