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Lost my cool on a beach today

8K views 81 replies 52 participants last post by  rotato 
#1 ·
I was up late last night prepping for my daughter's birthday party. She turned four a couple weeks back, but many of her classmates had birthdays the past two weekends. This weekend was her turn. Up early, way too early, to pack the car and of course dad was off to the park to set up the area for the festivities. The party was great, the day unfolded without a hitch. Back at the house the misses said "why not go fishing for the evening, I've got the girls handled". I thought I'd go to the Mason not Dickson line and wet a line hoping for an evening hatch. She suggested that I just hit a local beach and not go so far. I was tired and took her advice.

Here is where you might be interested...

A neat beach very close to my house has two small streams that flow from some swamp/marshlands into the Hood Canal. Not often, but sometimes I come here to fish because the little gifts of the sea, SRC's inhabit this area. Great oyster beds spaced between eel grass patches make this a great place for small baitfish to find cover. They find cover and the SRC find them all too delicious. So here I am, hiking up the beach. I'm casting here and there but not seeing much activity. There is another guy...WTF, there is never anyone else out here...fishing about 100 yards from me on the opposing side of the freshwater inlets. I saw a follow on my version of Leland's popper and knew that I'd be reaquainted with one of my friends soon. Next cast nothing, but I hear a WHOOO HOO from the dude. WTF, this dude just hooked into one of my friends and is barking and talking trash, this just is not right. This is when it took a turn for the worse and I lost my freaking cool o nthe beach today. Dude was whip jerking the fish hard, whatever meat stick he had barely bent. He horsed that little guy up onto the beach. He's not wearing waders, and he is well out of the water, at least 10 feet. Bastard, yes I called him a bastard and don't mind if he is reading, but I know he is too stupid to type in washingtonflyfishing.com. That bastard hauled this little SRC, probably about a 14" er, right up onto the beach. He drug it through the rocks, many barnacle covered or old oyster shells that are harsh as hell, and of course the sand right up to his feet. He proceeded to kick it once, take out a camera and snap a shot. I bet he did not get off more than one photo before I was next to him. I'm not exactly sure what I said, but I had tossed my rod aside, run up to him, picked up the fish bit off his line and headed out into the water. He was barking some bullshit and now the reality is setting in that once I get out of the water this dude and I are probably gonna dance. I removed his huge barbed hook from the wee SRC lad, did my best to rinse the sand that was caked to his slime layer off just by moving him to and fro in the water. After a couple of minutes of nursing him and knowing that he was a goner for sure he splashed me in the face and glided away from my hands. I'm still not sure if that fish will make it or not but it made it away from me pretty smoothly.

Now about the dude and the dance...I rinsed my hands off, wiped them on my waders and turned around to see what his posture was like...gone. Freaking guy was gone like a ghost. Now that is weird as shit, I'm sure that there should be some sort of conflict happening now, but this guy has booked from the scene. Now I'm thinking that he snatched my rod and booked it, but my rod was sitting where I tossed it. I rinsed it off, looked around again and headed back down the beach. I'm still a little jacked up about it and it was about two hours ago now. I lost my cool on a beach today.
 
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#29 ·
I'd remove this thread if I were you, with the right complaint you could find yourself on the wrong end of the law.

although I know nothing of the SRC regs, the right attorney could probably hurt you with http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=77.15.210

again, I know nothing of SRC laws or regs pertaining to where you are, so maybe you'd be covered under 3 (a) or (b). Though 4 could probably still hurt.... I'd say play it safe and press delete.

Wish I had lost the spoon, the collection is kinda low... offer it up to a part-time gear guy?

crazy gun dude in me says don't try this.
you just proved that you're willing to break the law (atleast from that person's point of view) over something like fishing.
you were probably just a touch visibly irritated
maybe someone that isn't an armchair lawyer (won't ever claim to know law that well) would chime in, but I'd say a jury would agree with him if he'd have drawn a firearm on you.
 
#32 ·
Good on ya Ed. Saint and saviour. I admire your actions.

uncool: I think you missed the point. And if I was on a jury and was told this story I certainly would side with Ed.
I didn't miss the point at all, if the guy with the fish was breaking the law something needed to be done... I wouldn't go this route because shoes switched (provided the guy thought he was in the right) I'd have drawn. Pictures/video and a call to someone that deals with this is a good idea.

what are the regs for fishing that area (reiterating that I'm not familiar with this subject thing, I know the regs to lakes I fish and that's about it)?

all in all I'm just saying I'd nuke this thread to protect ED if it's possible he could get charged with something, especially since he uses his name.
 
#31 ·
Nice work, Ed. A great example for all of us to not sit back and look the other way when the regs are not being followed, (especially in the matter of a fragile fishery). Glad that nothing had to be done to "knock" more sense in the guy, and that he didn't come after you at all. Also, I wouldn't consider it losing your cool at all
:beer2:
 
#33 ·
Uncoolperson, thanks for the totally non-applicable RCW. If it were legal to keep SRC and I cock blocked him then I'd be guilty. If it was his property then I'd be guilty. If he is pissed about losing his pixie spoon and four feet of line then I'd like to see that court summons. Flame me all you want with your boy Woolybooger (who is probably actually the banned or parked Hooker under a new log on). As for delete, no thanks. This is just text on a web page, you got video of the dude kicking the fish up the beach or me biting his line off and releasing the fish deliberately waist deep in the water? Witnesses? Anyway, I did what I did, maybe I owe the guy for four feet of line and a pixie spoon.
 
#35 ·
Uncool, actually thanks for thinking of ways to keep my ass out of trouble. I'm sure that is what you were doing. I'm still cool with what I did and am confident that I did not strike the dude or impede his legal harvest of fish.
 
#36 ·
UCP, I can understand if you are trying to protect Ed, but Ed in no way was in violation of any RCW. So it's all good my man!!! Keep up the good work Ed, you may have lost your cool but it was for a worthy cause!
 
#37 ·
Mumbles,
passionate men of conscience and action will always be criticized by the small-and-narrow minded. WTF, all's well. Glad he didn't bust a cap in your ass.
It's Miller time baby.:D

:thumb:,
Bob
 
#39 ·
good story ed,
glad things didn't escalate, and really glad to hear about a guy (you) standing up for something. that guy's (possible) ignorance isn't an excuse, the fact that he took off as you were helping him release the SRC, tells me he had an idea that he was in the wrong
 
#42 ·
Yeah, you burned all the hair off his head and he had to put on a hat! :clown:

Nice work Ed, although I don't think I would have done it that way, but the outcome was good! :beer1:
 
#43 ·
way to give that beak a lesson mumbles

but what did you do to cause that massive brown grouper migration from that pipe


ps i found a "beak" referance in a 40's Orwell novel

i have seen a few boot releases down here on the kp
makes you sick to the tummy
i need to keep the warden on the speed dial
 
#44 ·
:thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb:....
...If I had any more thumbs I wouldn't be able to tie on any flies at all...:eek:

Anyhow, great job Mr. Call.:beer2:

Jc:)
 
#45 ·
Uncoolperson,

The unnamed perp was not illegally obstructed or harrassed by Ed because he drug the SRC out of the water. Fish that must be released - all SRC in saltwater - are not to be removed from the water. Also, it the perp's Pixee spoon had a treble hook or barbed hook, he was fishing illegally. As fearsome as Ed must be (look at his avatar!), the perp likely knew he was in the wrong, as evidenced by his fleeing the scene.

Sg
 
#50 ·
Great story. When you said that you took the fish back down to the water, I was hoping that the guy didn't pick up a rock and stone you on the brain. Glad to see he didn't. Next time don't turn your back to someone you pissed off.
 
#52 ·
RFB, ha, that is cool. That photo really makes me look like trouble crossed with half an octopus. All those extra arms and digits. Honestly, not sure if I could even pick the dude out of a lineup. Maybe I should have never told my view of the story? Maybe someday he'll post his version? Anyway it gave us something to bicker about for a few days until that five day gap in the river opening comes to a close this Saturday.
 
#55 ·
First off... Good on ya!!! :beer2:

Maybe someday he'll post his version?
Second....I have to wonder who he told the story to and what it sounded like. :confused:

His story was probably like "I thought this pissed off dude was gonna kick my butt!! Then he ran up and took may fish and ran in the water. He was MENTAL!!! I hauled @$$!!! Figured he could keep my spoon"

:rofl:
 
#53 ·
know what would be Clint Eastwood cool?
Pull out your digital and start taking a sequence of pictures, follow the prick all the way to his car, and take pictures of his license plate. Talk to him the whole time..."smile baby, you're on candid camera...smile for the judge little man..."
Even if DFW does nothing about it, it would be a superfine HeadF*ck.

Just thinking out loud:D
 
#54 ·
know what would be Clint Eastwood cool?
Pull out your digital and start taking a sequence of pictures, follow the prick all the way to his car, and take pictures of his license plate. Talk to him the whole time..."smile baby, you're on candid camera...smile for the judge little man..."
Even if DFW does nothing about it, it would be a superfine HeadF*ck.

Just thinking out loud:D
I had a post a few weeks ago about confronting a person who took my fly rod. I used mildly aggressive words. someone posted back that if I confronted them like that, they would shoot me like a wild dog. after reading that losers comment, I will think twice about confronting someone. too many dirt bags out there these days
 
#57 ·
hey spey
although i just watched dirty harry on sat
clint isnt that cool
my buddy in santa cruz who works for the coastal commission is in full battle with him
he wants to build a golf course on the last stand of native coastal oaks in norcal
i like to chase the little white ball butt sheesh

just thought we should know that the cool guy on screen is not that cool with the environment
 
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