I tried to go out today but it just wasn't in the cards. I got to where I wanted to go but the fish wouldn't cooperate. I started out with a Elk hair Caddis on my one 3 wt. No Love. So instead of changing flies I rigged up another 3wt with a Royal Wulff.. That was a disaster. I tied on a fly by using my pre-threaded fly on the wire thingy things in my C & F fly box. I tied it on and then I discovered that I cut the wrong end off the finished fly. So I tried to thread it but no avail. So I ended up with a bigger fly with a eye I could thread. Still no love. I said the hell with this and started to go home. As I was driving down one of the back roads of Montana, I hear the noise coming from under my truck. I thought I picked up a stick or a tumble weed. So I stopped to check it out. Flat tire. Now if anybody else owns a 2000 Ford Ranger, you know that you have to have about three arms to change a tire on this truck. The jack is under a cover behind the seat. You have to lay down on the ground to fit the jack under the Axle. Bitch of a time. So you go to loosen the lug nuts. nothing doing. You have to stand on the wretch to get them to turn. So you get them start so you stop and jack it up to get the tire off. Now up until then it was somewhat easy. Now you need to get to the spare. You have this long key that you use to get to the thing to get the spare down. You have to jack it down to the ground and then figure out how to get it off the stupid cable. That all done and you get the spare on. You start tightening the lug nuts and the truck decides to move off the jack. Well that was fine as I had them almost tight. I loaded it all up and drove away. 7 miles down the road I discovered that I left my jack back where I changed my tire. So I turned around to go back there and my jack was still there. Not much traffic on the back roads. So how was your day.
Damn Jim, that's a pain in the drain...sorry to hear you had such a crappy outing. But, on the positive side, you are now experienced with the Ford Ranger tire change. How are the water levels over there and what river were you trying today?
My day was a hell of a lot better than yours. I went fishing too. It was sunny and warm, but like you no love from the fish. But I got no complaints. Sounds like changing a tire was a real SOB. Better luck next time.
Thats why I always have the little woman with me, She actually reads the directions & then informs me what I'm doing wrong!!! I thought they put the owners manuals in the glove box to keep all my junk from rattleing around in there or rough roads
My wife heard me laughing outside and I about pissed my pants. I have a Ford Ranger and know what you mean about it being a PITA. I always just leave the jack and stupid handle on the back floor. Pisses the wife off, but she don't change the flats. Sorry about your day. Tomorrow will be better for fishing.
I was fishing some small skinny water. Blacktail Der Creek. The one that sits 60 feet out my front door. I wasn't by my front door, I was 45 miles away from it. I should of gone to Birch Creek and explored it a little more. I was really out for just a look see as I really wasn't into fishing. To see if there were any wild animals out and about. All I saw was a few Ground squirrel's and or Prairie dogs. Some Antelope with two kids. But when you stop to take their pictures they take off.
That sucks Jim! I hope your next trip is better! I got a flat last week. Luckily, while I was still on a dirt road, it happened near town not up at the top of the mountain. Now, my dad taught me to change a flat when I was a kid but it took me forever to find the well-hidden jack. Then, I felt really stupid as I could not figure out how to get the spare down from under the rig (I didn't have a manual). So, since it was raining and I was soaked and frustrated, I swallowed my pride and called AAA figuring at least they could show me how to get the spare down. Took the 2 tow truck drivers about 15 minutes to figure it out so I didn't feel too badly but I never, ever would have figured it out myself. Note to self: on a new car, figure out how to change the tires before getting a flat!
When I got this truck there was a key in the glove box that was about 6" long. I was up in smoke about it. It was a good thing that the Ford manual was still with the truck as it explained it all in there. But I'm 77 and it's a hassle for an old fart like me.. But you all know I had to do it. My first car was a 1953 Pontiac. It had a bomb proof jack. I could almost do a flat tire standing up. Today I was on my back most of the time. But the sun was shining and it was warm out.
Worked all day. Meeting into the late evening. Sorry your day sucked, but at least toss us a Montana weather report while you are banging on the keyboard with two fingers.
What do you want a weather report for. You ain't coming here this time of the year anyway. But the weather has been some what nice. Low to mid 70's and of course there is the wind. But that just keeps it in the comfortable range. My day didn't suck. It just didn't turn out very good. But my tire was shot. It is only 8 months old, but it has an 100% warranty on it. These back roads cab be tough on tires. It got a rock cut on the sidewall. Not fixable. New tire showing up Friday morning.
Getting to go fishing even with "no love" is better than working. Getting a flat tire sucks any time. Going fishing with "no love" and getting a flat tire is still better than working. I'm going to come visit you in 4 months so I was just warning ya.
Yesterday I was getting replacement keys. Ho hum. On tues evening, I was jetty fishing and hooked another big ling. While bending over to grab onto to a rock for stability while climbing down one more rock to where I could net the fish, my keys fell out of my coat pocket (usually never put them there) and down into the jetty rocks...several bends and feet beyond where I could even see, and probably below sea level. Beyond where a magnet on a string could retrieve 'em. Gone for good. Even worse, the fish then busted me off. I'm sure that its teeth cut my line. I had also failed to hide my spare key outside my rig, so I had to call a friend and ask for a ride home and back for my spare keys. I then offered to buy him and his lady a drink at the local bar, which they accepted. We had two rounds. Wallet getting empty! Much worse than that, when I got home I checked the local news and discovered that a local teen had drowned that afternoon while swimming in the surf. Must have been a bad moon. Here's a trick that sometimes works to save tire-changing on the back roads. I always carry a tire-plugging kit with me. Last time I returned to my truck to find a flat tire, I noticed that a roofing nail was embedded in it, causing the slow leak. I had to dig out my jack and jack up the truck, but I just pulled out the nail with pliers, and then plugged the hole without removing the tire from the truck. I happened to have a bicycle pump along with me, which eventually got enough air in the tire so that I could drive home. Never had to loosen a lug nut. My plug repair held up until I needed new tires.
I went out again today. I live here in Montana and I can't even catch any fish. I have seen only one fish in the two times I have been out in the past week. I must be the World's worst fly fisher. The places that I tried today was the Upper Ruby and Long Creek. Of course both places were a foot higher than I liked to fish. Still a little runoff coming down. But most of the snow in the mountains is just about gone. Two more weeks and then I will burn up some more gas going up there.
