Before I was counting the days, now I am counting the hours until I head off for a week of fishing, reading and relaxing.
Let’s see, plenty of food, a good selection of autumn fly patterns, socks, underwear, sweater, my lucky navy blue Eddie Bauer corduroy shirt, tooth brush and tooth paste, rainwear, longjohns, a six-pack of Cokes in those little glass bottles, a bottle of Kahlua and a couple of good books to read – I think I’m pretty well prepared for anything and everything.
Last week I cleaned my fly lines and checked my leaders and tippets to make sure there were no ‘wind knots’ left over from my last fishing trip.
Speaking of which, last fishing trip I went to load my electric trolling motor into the vehicle only to remember that I’d forgotten to charge the batteries. But not this time. I put them onto a trickle charger the other day and they are both fully charged and ready to go.
A battery without a charge isn’t much good when you’re all ready to head out on the water but can’t because you have no juice.
I use two, deep-cycle batteries so that when I am gone for several days, I can have one charging at the cabin while I am out fishing with the other.
In the past, I admit I have also, upon occasion, neglected to clean out the cooler and put the ice-packs back in the freezer. Having said that, I’m probably not the only person who has gone to put food and drinks in the cooler, only to open it and see their ice-packs sitting there at the bottom at room temperature. But not this time. The cooler is spotless and the ice packs are in the freezer. I only hope I remember them when I go to pack my groceries.
Matches, a bundle of newspapers and some fire starter. I’ve already put several packs of matches in one of the pockets of my fishing vest and a couple more in my tackle box. I even put matches in my first aid kit, which is another thing that I’ve got to make sure gets restocked.
I can’t wait to be sitting around the cabin, reading and listening to a nice warm fire crackling in the wood stove.
Toilet paper, garbage bags and dish soap: check. Can opener: check.
Over the years, I have learned the hard way to keep a spare boat stopper in my tackle box. Over time, the rubber on a stopper can get hard and cracked, and it only takes a small amount of water leaking into your boat to get things wet. Picked one up the other day and even checked to make sure that it was the right size. I’m on top of my game.
Had an oil change just the other week. Checked the transmission fluid and and I’ll gas up on the way out.
However, I cannot help feeling like I’ve forgotten something.
Both my four- and six-weight fly rods are in their tubes by the door waiting, and I have the rest of my fishing gear packed in my new, specially designed fishing packsack.
The boat is on the trailer. I have money and my fishing licence in my wallet.
What can it be? I’ve gone over my list a dozen times.