Funniest fishing-related story

[Independent Marine]

One of the best perks of my job is being able to talk and share fishing stories with customers. Who hasn't launched a boat with the plug out and realized sooner than later that it would be a good time to return to the dock?. I thought I would share on of my personal 'bad-decision-funny- ending stories. Feel free to share one of your own.

Many decades ago, I was fishing in the Alberni Derby with my wife. We were trolling down the middle from Lone Tree towards Port. Cold morning, early on, jeans, Mustang bomber coat, 2 rods out a coffee in hand when a rod goes. This was in my dad's old Double Eagle with sleeper seats etc. so space was a premium. At the time, I recall one rod was a shorter Abu Garcia with my dad's 6" Peetz. This on went off, I grabbed it and started playing the fish. Everything went way too smoothly as the other line came in, downriggers were cleared and we were on a perfect tack down the middle away (somewhat) from the others.

To this day, I have no idea what happened but on one run, the rod just flew out my hands over the transom and into the chuck. In a moment of pure insanity, all I saw was my dad's face when I told him I lost his reel. Who wouldn't jump in after it?

Later (much later) my wife said that I literally looked like a duck trying to go under . The fish was pulling the rod just beyond my reach as it swam away and down. Meanwhile, the Mustang bomber kept me from getting below the surface.

Not a happy ending, rod and reel was lost and we wisely cut the morning fishing short. The best part was after I got dried out and changed, we went to return and clean the boat at my dad's. We chatted for a bit, I was trying to figure out how to share the story when he asked me if I heard about the guy in the derby that was seen jumping into the canal.

 

[RELIC]

Lots of good stories out there and usually best told in person but one I will always remember came from Ed Palister later in his life from his early days before his Fishing gear manufacturing and sales days in Sooke. He used to run one of the earliest commercial trollers and he was always thinking of better ways of catching fish, one idea he had was that he would try to electrocute the fish on his gear so he wouldn't loose any when was bringing them in. So off he went with an old generator on deck hooked to all his stainless lines off the gurdies and when all gear was loaded up with fish he hit the main switch. After a great big boom and pieces of the generator all over the deck he looked out to see that all his stainless lines, cannon balls and fishing gear where gone. Then after a long pause Ed added "You know I never tried that again".

 

[Eden Island]

The first half of my boat ownership days was spent in a 16' Skookum Sealer [like the old Oak Bay and Pedder Bay rentals]. Its first motor was a brand new 15 hp Mariner, which was great, except it wouldn't plane when loaded with 4 divers and gear. On one early trip, my partner and two other divers were out off Sidney when they struck a submerged log, which knocked the motor right off the transom and into 95' of water. They immediately dropped anchor and began a search -- and found it! Unfortunately with the anchor deployed there wasn't another 100' of line aboard. My buddy got to within 10' of the surface, but couldn't lift 100 lbs of motor.

What to do? They left the line in place, and an onboard artist carefully sketched the horizon, especially every intersection of terrain with water. Next day they went back, found the submerged 90' line within minutes, and a few hours later had the motor flushed and running. That motor never missed a beat over 7 years - but I always worried if creeping corrosion would get to it one day.

Then came the best part. Some fool stole the 15 hp. My replacement insurance came within $300 of paying for a 30 hp that would plane all 4 divers and gear, and took us to Barkley, Clayoquot, Kyuquot, Queen Charlotte Strait and the Central Coast!