I woke up at 6:30 AM, was out of my tent by 6:50, and packed and on the water by 7:30. I paddled back to the Ranger Station and dropped all of my stuff, other than my fishing gear, at my truck. Running into a man and his wife sliding into the water in a tandem canoe for a Sunday morning paddle, I laughed when they called me crazy for camping in the lagoon this time of year. I ventured out onto the water to fish for a while. Not having any luck, I paddled back to my truck at 9:30. I met a little boy and his mom and talked with them for a little bit. The boy was very intrigued when I told him I had spent the last three nights in the lagoon. As I talked with them, his mom told me that I needed to check out Washington Oaks Gardens State Park just north of the lagoon. She said the park was absolutely beautiful and the fishing, amazing. After they left, I met a kayak fisherman who had caught a redfish, a snook, and a speckled trout just that morning. Clearly, he knew what he was doing and I did not. He told me a lot about kayak fishing. When fly fishing, he likes the Native Slayer kayak because it is easy to stand on and fight a fish, and it has relatively little clutter on the surface to catch fly line. He can paddle nearly 20 miles in it, but he is exhausted and aching by the end of the day. So, for long paddles, he likes his Hobie kayak that has too much clutter for fly fishing but also has the foot pedals that allow him to easily travel 20 miles.
After cleaning the canoe and my fishing gear, I reorganized my truck, let the park rangers know I was off the water, and headed out at noon. On my way out, I stopped to check out the beach. It would be pretty embarrassing for me to stay at a national seashore for four days and never actually see the seashore! I also took advantage outside shower at the entrance to the park and attempted to scrub off the three days of grime from my body.
I stopped for a lunch of tacos and a milkshake at Izzy's Island Tacos and Ice Cream at New Smyrna Beach. Then, I began the long drive. While camping at the lagoon, I decided I was tired of sleeping in hot, humid weather and wanted to spend the rest of my trip in a nicer climate. So, I headed northwest. I called my neighbor, Mr. Easterly, and consulted his advice on fishing in Arkansas and Colorado. I also called my friend Kelsey and made plans to meet her in Tulsa, where she works. I had Taco Bell for dinner and stayed at the Oxford/Talladega Dandy RV KOA. I draped my mosquito net over the back of my truck and slept there.
Odometer - 3692 mi
Driving time - 86 hrs
No comments:
Post a Comment