3 Amigos

 Last Monday I ran into a teacher hired just as I was leaving the principalship. He mentioned that Don and Paul and I were a close knit group of former principals. He called us the "3 Amigos". I think it is a very appropriate label for us.

We have been fishing buddies for over 35 years. We started together when we were all experiencing tremendous stress due to the closing of schools and over crowding in our buildings. In the spring of that year Don's wife, Pat, suggested we get out of town and go fishing.  It was a perfect suggestion and led to the first amazing fishing adventure for us. I wrote about it in "Almost Holiday" https://principalfishing.blogspot.com/2016/01/almost-holiday.html

Since that wonderful weekend on Lake Shelbyville we have fished in multiple lakes in Illinois from Murphysboro to Shabbona and rivers from the Rock to the Apple. We have fished lakes in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Wyoming. We have fished trout streams in the Great Smoky Mountains and  the Driftless Area of Wisconsin,  Iowa, and Illinois. Don mentioned today the three of us have visited the original Bass Pro Shop (Don always says Pro Bass) in Springfield Missouri and the original Cabalas in Sidney Nebraska. Don has also visited the original Orvis shop in Vermont. One of our first adventures was to a Bass Pro Shop in Gurnee, where we were all suckered into buying a magic worm that only catches fisherman. We have cursed so many fishing guides that it is almost embarrassing. Some have even refused to be paid because we didn't catch any fish under their guidance.

We have heart issues, early dementia issues,  and cancer issues, but they don't keep us from fishing. We used to go out alone, but now find safety in numbers. Safety in numbers allow us to continue to share stories of other adventures. The greatest challenge is finding time between doctor appointments to get on a lake. The weather has to also be good as we can no longer challenge high winds or high temperatures. We have gone from three boats to two and soon to one, but we make sure that we go together.

We are no longer very agile or steady. Walking on a floating dock is an adventure and getting in and out of a boat is a risky challenge. Still we yearn for the chance to be together on the water. We help each other out to make sure we don't fall in. .. or I should say usually don't fall in.

The 3 Amigos do not always fish together, but at least two of us go out. We always have fun, and I mean it. We don't always catch fish, or survive unscathed, but the times with these guys are what keeps me coming back from Texas every spring. As I told many people who asked why we go on fishing trips where no fish are caught, "It isn't about the fishing".  I have 4 brothers, but these guys are my brothers in many ways too numerous to describe.

Devil Dock of Death at Dawson

 

4D for short. I have navigated the 4D many times over the last 40 years. Sometimes the Devil gives me a pass. Most times he does not. You might say "Rick, the Devil doesn't have a dock", but to this I firmly disagree. He was there when it was designed;  for who, but the  Devil, would put a dock with two ramps that drop completely out of site from the parking lot.  This drop off immediately turns the boat trailer as it enters the ramp. Who, but the Devil, would consider that the ramps should be divided into two narrow sections and  put a 3 ft wide curve between. Note the curve also cannot be seen from the parking lot. The two sections are just wide enough to to fit a boat trailer in if you are perfectly aligned with the center of the ramp, which the drop off never lets you do without multiple attempts. Who, but the Devil, would design the docks with only one place to hold on to from a boat and not provide any place to tie up said boat. And just for fun the Devil decided to place the ramps and dock so the prevailing winds ALWAYS push any boat away from the dock, usually towards the neighboring ramp. To make sure the wind puts a boat immediately in danger, have the second ramp end in water in which rocks are less than 6 inches deep so boats being pushed that way are grounded.

Looking at the photo you might think those hand rails are good tie up locations, but they are too far from the water to be of any good. To get to the handrails the boat has to bottom out on the ramp. This photo was taken when the lake was so full water was going through the spillway. This is a rare occurrence. Photo was taken after I fell in the lake because of the crosswind.

There are actually real  events that have happened at 4D. 

June 1990 (?) Don and I reach 4D in his canoe. Paul was fishing with his son and it was nearing dark. We wanted to hurry to get clear of the ramp before Pal arrived. As I reached for the one grab pole, the canoe tipped over and dumped Don and me onto the ramp. When we flipped the canoe upright the canoe filled with water. We rescued our gear and tried to bail out the water and get out before Paul arrived. We didn't want him to see I had tipped over the canoe. We heard his motor approaching so moved quickly to get the canoe up the ramp and onto Don's truck. As we pulled out before Paul arrived I said "I'll bet the guy watching us bail out the canoe will tell Paul "You should have  the seen the clowns that were just here bailing out a canoe" "

August 2003 Scott came down from Chicago on a Saturday to help me make my first launch of the boat I purchased that week. Navigating heavy fog we made it Dawson and joined the line of waiting boats. After multiple attempts to get aligned on the disappearing ramps with Scott in the boat, I finally reached the water. After pulling out the trailer to park it, Scott yelled "The boat is sinking" I ran to the line of boats and asked to break back in to load the sinking boat. Fortunately I was given a space and got the boat out before it bottomed out on the ramp. That's when I learned not to take the plug out of the boat, ever. OK, Devil , lesson learned.

June 2025 You can read the whole story at https://principalfishing.blogspot.com/2025/06/well-thats-never-happened-before.html.

Today after multiple attempts to get straight on the ramp, we tried to put Paul's boat in the lake using his new release mechanism to unlock the boat from the trailer. We couldn't get it to release. After 30 minutes going back in and out of the water, we finally realized the trailer winch strap was still attacked to the boat. The Devil messes with one's mind too, just ask Paul.

There have been other  incidents but I can't recall the specifics, except you might ask how I know about the shallow rocks off the one ramp? Experience. How do I know about the prevailing wind? Experience. How do I know about the narrow lanes and the curves on the ramps. Experience from multiple encounters with hitting the curve and the dock. 

The good thing, we survived the trip today in spite  of the bad start. We actually caught some fish and didn't break anything or fall in. 4 D doesn't always win. A good day with a good friend. But I still don't trust 4D.

Well that's never happened before

 Paul and Don and I have had so many screw ups that I compared us to the three stooges. https://principalfishing.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-three-stooges-were-amateurs-at.html

But it really only takes two of us to make one type of screwup. Don fell out of his own boat around 30 years ago. He blamed Paul for rocking the boat while he was trying to pee over the side losing his glasses in the process. (Don said the worst part was explaining to his wife, Pat) . Don bought a floating glasses strap to prevent future losses  and used a plastic urinal until he sold his boat.  Now I carry one  in my boat.

Stay for final paragraph because this was only the beginning of the screwups.

Through all the nearly 40 years of fishing together I had never fallen in....until today. I was with Paul (is there a pattern here?) because Don couldn't come fishing. We had a great day fishing although it was a little too windy to keep the boat steady. The wind led to the disaster. 

Paul was driving the boat to go home and I sat in the front. As we pulled up to the dock I grabbed the pipe on the dock to pull myself up. There was a kid about 8-10 fishing by the ramp. I got one foot on the dock and attempted to set up with the other foot. The wind had other ideas. 

With one foot in the boat and one on the dock I struggled to hang on to the pipe. I was straddling the water as the wind blew the boat back. When my foot slipped off the dock I tried to get it back up and twisted and fell with my back in the water. I heard the kid say to himself or us, "That's a nice bluegill  as he apparently caught a fish. Both of my feet were now in the boat and I laid with my back in the water still holding on to the pipe.  The other hand was on the side of the boat. My jacket pockets and hood filled with water increasing my weight. The kid said " that's a nice crappie" as he apparently caught another. Paul grabbed my boat hand while I held to the dock with the other. He offered to try and pull me up, but I told him "No" because I could see he would only fall in too. The kid caught another fish, this time a bass.

 We decided the only solution was for me to put both feet into the lake and and try to pull along the dock until I could get my feet onto the ramp and walk out...except my life vest had other ideas. I could barely touch the bottom before my life vest woke up.

We always wear a life vest. Mine is inflatable and only inflates when it gets wet. It got soaked and I said to Paul "My life vest works" as it instantly inflated. It really gets buoyant when it does. It was so buoyant that my feet floated to the surface and I could not get them down.

I struggled to pull myself toward the ramp using the support structure under the dock. I had no leverage to overcome the life vest so I walked slowly hand over hand towards the ramp. By this time my feet were under the dock and I couldn't pull them out. Slowly I worked to the ramp and finally reached the location of the hand rail on the dock. I was exhausted and rested awhile before trying to pull on the handrail. I was  too far away so had to pull further along until I caught the upper hand rail. This gave me enough leverage to finally overcome the life vest and stand on the under water part of the ramp

As I stood up and started to walk out of the water, the kid said "How did you do?" meaning "how was fishing". I  said "I fell in the lake" and he said "I saw. How was fishing?". The kid had some strange priorities. 

I walked up to my truck to get the trailer. My truck key fob wouldn't work,  so I had to open it with the key. When you do you have a few seconds to start the engine before the alarm goes off. Fortunately I got it started. I loaded the boat on the trailer,  drove to town, dropped off Paul and headed home.

In this electronic era, when you fall in the lake, it screws up everything. My electronic watch was soaked, and most importantly my cell phone was water logged My cell phone has many important apps including the security system for both houses. My wallet and everything it it was soggy. I needed my drivers license and medical card for the next event.

After getting cleaned up and making it to my scheduled doctor's appointment, Connie and I went to the store to buy rice to dry out my cell phone, and watch. She drove because my truck seat was saturated with lake water from my clothes. As we pulled into the parking lot, granddaughter, Emily, called from Texas to say the security alarm was going off and she couldn't shut it off. The batteries in the key pad were dead. The only way to shut off the alarm is with the keypad or the security app which is only in one place, my soaking wet cell phone which was home waiting for drying rice. Fortunately the security company called the Connie's phone as backup to mine before sending the police to arrest my panicked granddaughter.

Next time I tie up the boat to the pipe before trying to get out!