Feel the burn

The burn

This blip relates more to yesterdays text, so for the full explanation you will have to visit yesterdays blip. This is not a ploy to up the ratings, but I really wanted to blip the lake in all it's glory despite the camera limitations and that has to be blipped on the actual day.

The fishing trip - part 2.

We arrived at the waters edge, well as close as we could without entering the sloppy mud bath. The plan was to fish for fifteen minutes, then walk on further to find another spot and so on. We started to set up the gear. I was keen to see what Chacha was going to rig from that tiny purse that he was carrying that was only big enough for his cigarettes, well in fact, that was all it did actually contain and his plan was to use my gear, as he knew that I would be well prepared. Thoughts of strangling Chacha were now flowing freely through my mind, as my lumbar muscles were screaming almost as loudly as my leg.

First job for me was to work the sun block into my limbs in anticipation of the sun's fierce UV rays. Despite the thin cloud cover, life's experience had taught me that clouds were no protection. I should have bought a new tube, but I had enough to coat my arms, legs and neck. I elected not to do my face, as it was already well browned from blip safaris and I felt that it would not be necessary, thinking that it would be more prudent to save the cream for a second coat of my legs later on. I did question whether this was a good decision or not, but decisions have to be made and only hind sight can answer such questions.

After fishing this first spot for about thirty minutes, we decided to move on. We hadn't seen any hint of a fish, nor had any of the many other anglers working this area. Chacha chatted to one local guy, who told him of a better spot for us, a few miles away. I am always suspicious of such advice from fishermen, if it was a better spot then what was the guy doing fishing this barren location. We packed the gear, climbed the mountain to retrieve the bikes and off we went.

Approaching the designated location, we found ourselves in deep kampung territory and I was dearly missing the D70, in fact for the whole day I missed the camera, as there were hundreds of blip opportunities with the kampungs, the people, breath absorbing scenery, floating villages, a plethora of exotic dragonflies and butterflies that I had not seen before. Just as well really, as it would have probably taken me three days to process and choose a blip.

We stopped at a benkel (tyre servicing store) and asked for more directions. Again we were pointed to a narrow foot path. Chacha looked at me nursing my still throbbing leg and made an executive decision to abandon the bikes and walk. Good decision Chacha!

Another stunning location of scenic masterpieces and sloppy mud. At one point the mud swallowed my flipflop whole. Experience had taught me to retrieve the native footwear by hand, as if you try to pull the floppy flip out by the toe, it will break and I would be semi bare foot for the rest of the day. Decent footwear would have been nice, as now I was slipping and sliding all over the flipflops, in fact at one point I did go barefoot as it was much easier.

Again, no fish for us or any sight or word of fish from the other anglers. I was beginning to suspect that this was going to be a recurring pattern. To think that I caught 80Lb of bawal in three hours, just 4 Km from my front door and here we are, 50Km from home, out in the sticks and not a hint of a fish. This fishing trip was definitely not looking like a trip of a lifetime and coming back for seconds was looking most unlikely.

To be continued.

Dave