“Do you want to wait to see if its fixed?”
“Nah, it’s good… Let’s hit the water.” That was it… that’s when it happened. That moment when words fall out of your mouth contradictory to the subconscious knowledge in your head. Then you carry on convinced everything will be fine. Mike had just asked if I wanted to wait any longer to see if my float tube was genuinely leaking air, or if I fixed it by tightening the main valve. I declined out of a sense of eager foolishness. I was on my tube and everything was going to be fine. The stage was set.
There’s no other platform I prefer to fish Texas rivers than on a float tube. The ride is always pleasant and as a fly angler I have absolute control in my position, approach to water outside a wader’s cast, or kayaker’s drift. I get to roll hands free and quiet. What more could an angler ask for? Just point me to the water.
With the release of our new San Marcos river guide, I was ready to hit new water. Dave had fed me tall tales about about a stretch he recently hit and fished well. I anticipated the run so much that days ahead when Mike confirmed he could float with, I actually drew out plans on paper. I wanted everything to be clear and perfect as the river we’d be on. I was geeking out and drooling for river time bad.
Now I’m not sure why I completely ignored my good sense when after 20 minutes of fishing I had to add air to my tube. That I did not turn around right there dumbfounds me. I confirmed I was leaking air but this wasn’t a first. I trudge-pumped-fished along.
Slowly as each cubic foot of water took me down stream, the air and water worked on my newly acquired pinhole of an aperture. It became a gaping, water logging, torrent thirsty, suck hole I had to drag around vs. float. The fishing became harder and I was learning a bad lesson on a friend’s time.
The lesson learned? Be better prepared when taking a friend fishing for the first time. If you want to play guide, act like one. Don’t let your lust for dual-hydro-mono-oxy liquids and fish blind you to obvious facts. Facts like, you should bring a patch kit; or have a back up tube. I love to fish. I love to share my passions. The great plan I put together for a day on the San Marcos became a bust; a fail.
I ended up telling Mike to fish on down to the next take out when it was obvious my tube had wheezed out its last. Along the way back up I fished, broke brush, and even sight cast to a fishy looking weed posing as a sucker fish. The cows on the bank stared in disbelief.
Fortunately, after finding a good egress route I got to Mike and we called it a day. It was not so fortunate that when I found him I was still soaking wet from head to toe because of a dip I took in the drink. I literally had to swim across the last pool before I could get back to my vehicle. Swim… not float.
Although we both got to fish a few hours, there’s still a stinging pain/agony of lost opportunity. Time we could have had and fish we might have missed. When you want to hit a destination river “or bust”, plan for the bust and work thru it. Turning around sucks.
Fish On!
Anthony