North Pond Trip

Tonight Amanda, Dave, and I went out for a short little jaunt on North Pond in Smithfield for some after-dinner fishing. It was actually a really nice evening weatherwise--you could actually breathe without an oxygen tube, for example. Plus, Dave just got his new propeller installed, so all was right for some angling . . .

We ended up trolling a little bit around the big island of the pond, and then we went farther out towards Pine Tree Camp for some spin casting, and then we made our way back in towards the boat launch, taking our time to troll and cast some more. North Pond, being a pretty shallow lake, has a bunch of smallmouth bass and Pike, but White Perch was the fish du jour for Dave and I (Amanda alternated between reading her Jodi Picoulet book--which, by the way Mel, she LOVES--and taking pictures. Oh yeah . . . she also spent a lot of time grimacing at all of Dave and I's "that's what she said" remarks). Dave "cast-a-way" Lachapelle was the champion, pulling in something like over ten perch. I was a little behind, landing maybe 5 or 6. They are fun little fish to catch, and supposedly good eating. One even made me draw blood-- the fish are pretty innocuous, except for a little barb-thing on their back tail. One thwashed (is that a word?) around while I was trying to take the hook out, and cut me on my left bicep. I am surprised there was blood under that skin . . .I thought it was all SOLID MUSCLE . . .ha ha. We were skunked on bass and pike, but maybe next time. It was just so great to be out on the water, having some laughs, and taking in some fish . . . .

Oh yeah, Amanda just reminded me, we saw a bunch of loons as well--one right on the boat's starboard side. Also saw a few cormorants and a sea gull with a HUGE fish in its gullet.