The fine, fine, doctor’s office mis-scheduled (is that even a word?) my cortisone shot. The end result is that I showed up on the wrong day. It is now scheduled for this coming Wednesday — Lord willing and the crick don’t rise!
Against my better judgement I went fishing on Saturday. Those who control the dams have them open to flush the river in preparation for the spawn. This meant that at my favorite spot the water was up by 3 ft and the current was intense. So intense, in fact, that my normal “lure magic” (i.e. kastmasters or Buoyant spoons) were a bust.
Had my 2nd best river day last October with this guy. 9 rainbows landed and another 3 lost!
In desperation, I trekked to the opposite side of the river where it was calm and tried some crusty Powerbait that was at the bottom of my tackle box. In about two hours I had three good bites and was able to land one rainbow trout. At least I chased the skunk away for 2015!
Landing that fish with tennis (aka computer) elbow was a come-to-Jesus moment. I had to brace the butt of my rod on my thigh to limit stress on the elbow tendon. Also, earlier in the morning I made the mistake of doing a backhanded cast. It hurt so bad that I almost dropped my rod in the river.
Judo is definitely on hold until I fix this GD elbow. I’m trying a smorgasbord healing strategies including ergonomic changes to my computer work spaces, elbow braces, massage, ice, and stretching.
As for fishing, well, I have a fishing trip scheduled in a few weeks with one of my high school pals. I think I’m going to try switching my reel handles to the right side of the reels. I’ll still have to cast with my right hand but at least when I work the rod or land a fish I can hold the rod with my left.
Screaming Into the Abyss 
Listening to the pain that’s associated with this injury is enough to make me wince. I hope you get some forward momentum with the shot. A guy in my old school got one in the should and his whole world brightened up.
LikeLike
Post coming up. Stay tuned!
LikeLike
Any fly fishing yet?
And for pain management, I suggest that you drink tequila while fishing…
LikeLike
About 2 years ago me and a buddy from a neighboring state hired a guide and went on a float trip in these here parts. The guide gave us a crash course in fly fishing. Past that I have not committed. There is a lot of cost and commitment to it:
– equipment
– learning about hatches
– learning when to use wet fly vs. dry
– using said equipment
As for tequila, well, check!
LikeLike