I managed to sneak up to the lake for some additional recon, taking advantage of the lack of wind to get a better feel for what’s offered. I took the hip boots with me so I could wander around without regard for mud and marsh.
In the Central Valley, March is traditionally the month where the Bass start heading for the shallows to spawn. Timing varies widely but it appears I’m still much too early.
One boat and two campers were the only folks present, but the muddy water persists despite the lack of wind, and no fish activity of any kind. I wandered up the creek channel and couldn’t find any weeds or bug life. I wasn’t expecting to find anything as this part of the creek would be buried in the lake if it were full.
The boat anglers gave up at 10AM, I stuck it out for a couple more hours until the breeze started. I had found a nice log to perch on in the clean water at the creek and was flinging streamers in all directions. I heard the report of a gunshot, and a bullet rips into the water about 20 feet away.
I take cover behind a log and wait for the clip to empty, some dumb arsed kid is firing at the trees in the water, and hasn’t seen the human in their midst. That’s the problem with the “Quiet Sport” we don’t have some monstrous V-8 to announce ourselves properly.
I’m counting the reports, 5-6-7 .. bullets are thudding into the trees on my left, I know it’s an automatic not a wheel gun, 8-9-10-11, he should be dry*, and edge out past shelter to see the kid fiddling with his next clip. I announce my presence and the kid takes off like a scared rabbit.
Maybe it’s what I said, as I quoted Han Solo, “.. good against trees is one thing kid, good against the living, is quite another..”
* California restricts clips on pistols to a max capacity of 10, plus “one in the pipe.”
Technorati Tags: fishless fishing, indiscriminate gunfire
You’re brave to rely on California-legal math to save your miserable blogging hide; CA might restrict the clips to 10, but 16+1 is “normal” for most 9MMs, and not all gun owners can count.
Still, it’s an “exhilarating” moment, eh? This kind of thing happened to me a couple times while fishing for bass on the delta, and it always failed to tap into that great big reservoir of relaxation you’re looking for while fishing.
How old was the kid? Any sign of a car? Parental supervision?
Frankly, I think you’re being way too calm; there’s potential for a whole series of pulp-style posts surrounding this event. Stuff like “I took 10 rounds… and Lived!” Or “Life and Death at Indian Valley: Where The Hunter Becomes the Hunted.”
I waited after “11” as you’re quite right. “Dirty Harry” was dry – as well as inaccurate.
I missed the pulp angle and should have thrown in an IED to really get sympathy. I’ll just double the number of insurgents and bullets for tomorrow’s post – it’s the same math fishermen use in the retelling of fish stories, in case the recipient has heard it already.
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It must be kismet. I just took the picture for my morning blog and had started the story when the fly fishing under fire story posted.
http://sanddollaradventures.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/be-afraid-be-very-very-afraid/
So, am I in your will for your extensive video collection?
I think you should start an adventure tourism company based on day trips to that lake.
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I think I would have freaked. But, you must have scared the heck out of that kid popping out of the trees the way you did.
I cannot imagine being in the middle of something like that. Irresponsible gun fire. It just simply amazes me that people do not think about what they are doing. Wow, you really dodged one there. That could have been really bad.