What a beautiful sunny day. No, I havent lost my mind; I am writing this from another state. The Double Head Resort in Town Creek, Ala., to be exact. I am here attending the United Field Trialers World Championship.
The trip down was interesting until we got out of Ohio.
We experienced heavy snowfall and drifting on U.S. 71, but once we got through Cincinnati, the snow stopped and the wind slowed down. The rest of the 10-hour trip was uneventful.
When we pulled in, it was considerably colder than what I was anticipating. However, today was in the mid 50s and great for running dogs.
I ran my first brace at 9 a.m. this morning, and everything looked right. The cover in the field was perfect; we had a slight breeze coming right to left across the field, and Addi looked like she was in her groove.
I released her and she pointed the first bird in less than a minute. I moved in front of her and flushed the bird, but when I pulled my shotgun up I couldnt get a good sight picture. With my heart pounding I made a rookie mistake and rushed the shot.
Of course, I missed, and just that quick, any chance of making it into the finals on Saturday vanished.
The rest of the run went OK, and I get to run my second brace tomorrow, but short of a miracle, we wont be in the big show Saturday.
Too bad. We worked hard to qualify, and this was a big money trial with lots of bragging rights to the winner, but it just wasnt to be this year.
A true competitor would probably let this ruin his trip, but I have adopted my dogs attitude. If we are chasing birds, then we are having fun, and nothing else matters. Besides that, the run tomorrow should be a lot of fun now that the pressure is off.
I am not looking forward to the long ride home this weekend.
I am, however, looking forward to getting home, and heading up to Lake Erie.
My buddy, Todd, just called, and said they have been yanking gators off the reefs all week. For those of you that dont speak ice fishing lingo, that means they have been catching limits of large walleye through the ice north of Camp Perry.
He reported that the ice is six to 10 inches thick, which is moderate to good.
Big water and thin ice can be a recipe for disaster. Use caution and if you are inexperienced, make sure you go out with someone who knows the sport until you learn the dangers.
Be especially cautious of winds out of the south, especially when they kick up to 20 to 30 mph. When you read about those knuckleheads being rescued off of drifting ice, they did not heed this warning.
With the weather staying in the low 30s being out on the ice isnt all bad. An ice shanty is a great way to fish, but takes a little more planning. I have an enclosed trailer with holes cut in the floor, which I pull out on the ice with my Polaris Ranger. It takes a little effort, but few things are more important than being comfortable.
Catch you later,
Rick
Rick Hill lives in Wayne County with his wife, daughters, and a kennel full of well-bred, poorly trained bird dogs. E-mail Rick at rhil8147@embarq mail.com.
