The Lucky, Unlucky Day

It was about 7:45 Friday evening when Kirk arrived at Dan’s cabin on Matlacha. The sun was sinking over the horizon turning the distant storm clouds over the gulf purple and red as they made their normal springtime trek inland. Fred and Dan were already enjoying a beer on the dock and the kids were running up and down the seawall cast netting pinfish and finger mullet.

Snook season would end at midnight and Dan had high hopes of bringing home a big last minute linesider. He was anxious to demonstrate to his wife an immediate return on his recent $200.00 investment in a new rod and reel.  Kirk joined Fred and Dan on the dock taking turns doing product analysis on the new rig.  While the kids continued to stock the bait tank the guys were busy with a thorough inspection of the reel opening and closing the bail, commenting on it’s smoothness of operation and noting the fast action and sensitivity while whipping the light weight  graphite rod. The conclusion was unanimous; it was a beautiful set up and worth every penny. He was lucky to have it.

They spent the next few hours catching a few Lady Fish and some Jacks and sharing stories of epic battles and great fish of the past. As the evening thunder storm rolled it began to rain. The three amigo’s loosened their drags and wedged their rods into some lawn chairs as makeshift rod holders and retreated back into the cottage. After a brief twenty minute down pour the rain stopped. They grabbed the cooler and headed back out to the dock.  There was now only a little over an hour of Snook season left but they remained determined to land their last minute catch. Suddenly Dan let out an earth shattering yell from the dock. NOOOOO! My new rod! My wife’s going to kill me! It soon became apparent that something big had taken Dan’s bait knocking over the rod holder (lawn chair) and dragged his brand new set up into the creek. In an attempt to save Dan’s marriage they spent the rest of Snook season scouring the bottom with spot lights in search of Dan’s setup to no avail. Dan’s new rig was M.I.A.

The next morning with no Snook and no beautiful new rod and reel, Dan decided to take a quiet canoe trip down the creek before heading home empty handed to tell his wife of his misfortune. He wasn’t more than 50 yards from the dock when something shinny in the mangrove roots caught his eye. He saw what looked to be the tip of a fishing rod. His heart skipped a beat as he quickly paddled over toward the trees thinking “could it be my rod?” As he arrived at the trees he reached for the branches to steady himself and suddenly the canoe flipped sending Dan splashing into the water.  He popped his head up from under water and there tangled in the mangrove roots was his prize set up. ”My rod! My rod”! He hollered. “I found my rod”!  Kirk and Frank came running out of the cottage to see what all the commotion was about. What they saw was Dan on the other side of the creek standing in the water up to his chest, soaking wet with his canoe bobbing upside down next to him. He was holding his brand new rod and reel Fred and Kirk stood there laughing hysterically as Dan began to reel in the remainder of the line taken down the shoreline by the unknown undersea marauder.  Suddenly the line became taught and started moving away from the trees toward the middle of the creek. Dan shouted to his friends on the dock “I think there’s a fish on my line”! No sooner had he spoken when; in an attempt to dislodge the hook set in his late night incursion the night before, a massive Snook came thrashing and leaping out of the water. Frank and Kirk stood speechless, frozen in disbelief at the events that had just unfolded in front of them.  A few minutes later Dan made his way across the creek with his prize rod and reel in one hand and a fat 33 inch Snook in the other.

There was a short discussion as to the legality of bagging the sneaky sideliner. It was after all hooked prior to the end of the season but landed after the season was closed. In a 3 to 0 decision they decided to release the Snook, cut their losses, count their blessings and head home to their wives.

Had Dan landed the Snook just seven hours earlier at the beginning of it’s foray it could have joined Dan and his wife for dinner. It was a truly a “lucky unlucky day”!