Sebago fish story: The one that almost got away

So Scotty and I took Robyn, Winston and Aiden fishing. We’ve caught 30+ blue gills, but only 7 are keepers. Um, actually only 2 are keepers and the other 5 are debatable. Anyway, things are going great until my bad knot on the fish cage allows it to float away.

Well yesterday, Spike had lost the old fish cage, with a 2 lb bass in it. So this is our new floating fish cage. So all is not lost. The fish cage is 20 yds away, and everyone reels in while scotty pulls the anchor. While he does so, Scotty lectures the kids about the necessity of “never toss anything overboard that you haven’t checked is properly tied in. Fish cages and anchors.”

So we drift over to the cage and I retrieve it. As I tie it to the boat with a better knot, Robyn yells out “What is that rope in the water?”

Yes, the rope at the other end of the anchor, as it starts to sink for the final time. Scotty immediately dives in and manages to get a hand on it.

Problem is that we are now drifting away from him and he can’t get back. No problems. I’m an adult. So I try and start his boat.

Um, it won’t start. Turns over just fine, but coughs to a stop as soon as I let go of the key. Very consistent behavior. I have steered his boat, but never started it. Something I am missing.

So we all start yelling at each other, since we’re now 100 yds apart. And I still can’t start the motor.

Luckily Spike is in another boat a few hundred yds away. We yell at him to get Scotty, and he takes his sweet time reeling in and pulling in his anchor. He suggests we tell Scotty to tie the rope around his anchor. Nothing is crisis for our man Spike!

I look over at the kids and see Winston (Mister empathy) is in tears. Fears the worst and no one has said things will be ok. i try and tell him not to worry, but I am still trying to start the motor (and failing). and I am still yelling, since everyone is 100 yds away.

Finally I try some weird “get the starter going and slam it into gear” trick and the motor starts and I can head back to scotty. but spike gets there first and saves him. I pull alongside and all is recovered. But the kids had had too much excitement and just felt things had been too dangerous. Time to head for home.

We shall see how this fish story grows over time.

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