I certainly have enjoyed a few trips to the Merritt area this year. My fishing success has been limited but most trips I seem to have some adventure and the one last week was no exception. Welcome to the Journal on Fishing with Rod your top fishing web site in the North West for fishing information, tips, video, tall tails and much more.
As I had a Fraser Valley Salmon Society on Wednesday for a post derby meeting I decided to cancel a dentist appointment (I hate meetings in the middle of the week) and head East shortly after church on Sunday.
My first stop is in Hope, for a coffee, I always do that, both ways, to break up the driving and I really try to take my time these days while heading to my destination, more relaxing too.
As I reach highway 5, after coffee the traffic is not too bad a most people are heading South, after their weekend. Many are either towing boats or have them on their roof racks. I wonder how their fishing was.
I stop for another break near the Summit and marvel at the amount of snow not that far above me. As I have done lately I pack some snow in a cut off milk jug, makes for a good cooling agent for the cooler. I also pick up a few tins that always subsidize the gas account.
I reach Merritt around supper time and have a light supper at McDonalds before hitting the hay at the Wal-Mart Hotel that the Leaf Mobile likes to visit; others are doing the same be it in swanker accommodation than the LM offers.
The night passes quickly when one is tired but the night is short as daylight is here by 4:30 ish. It’s off to McDonalds for a coffee and bran muffin, warmed up with butter and jam, a bargain at $1. 56.
A regular is there on every early morning stop and I hear the same stories, I guess he forgets who I am, loves to talk especially about his wood cutting and all the bears he sees.
As my cousin borrowed my rods for a derby at Salmon Lake I have plenty of time to wait, until he shows up sometime around noon. I donot hear from him and try to call him but no answer. I am starting to worry that he got mixed up with the times and has passed by Merritt. Well here to fish with no rods would be just great.
I keep busy though, working on the FVSS books in putting a financial report tother for the pike minnow derby for the Wednesday meeting. I was glad that I balanced with all the payouts for the 805 PM’s brought to the scales on the 16th. We paid out $2 for each of the 805 fish brought in, along with some other cash prizes and also for tagged fish. Actually I did not quite balance being out $2. OK I guess on $2,685 payout.
While I wait I make a visit to the facility at the Chevron gas station. I walk by a keno machine and I am getting low on gas money I gamble of a $1 quick pick for 3 numbers. I just miss the next draw as the seller is checking the gas pumps so I have to wait a few minutes to get my ticket for a later draw.
I get one number quickly but with only 2 numbers left I think I am done, wasted a $1, but wait. The final two numbers are mine and I walk away with a $19 profit, yes money for gas now.
I try my cousin again and finally he answers and is in Merritt having lunch, he tells me he thought I was in Merritt only on Sunday. We meet up and I am glad to get my rods, so I can fish. He tells me there was a substation fire on Douglas Lake Road so being a news hound I say will check it on my way to see Lew at his secret lake, it’s on the way.
But first I use my newly found fortune to top up the Leaf Mobile’s fuel tank. I also walk over to Canadian Tire before heading north to see Lew. I am just going by Nicola Lake enjoying the view and listing to Merritt’s radio station, wondering if there is an item about the fire.
The news comes on but no report but someone talks about losing an envelope with some money in it by the Merritt Seven Eleven. The report trigs something in my nearly 69 year old mind, where is my wallet, I donot feel it in my pocket.
I pull over at a rest stop and start looking for it. Those that know the LM finding something in the cab or back know that is no easy task. I am frankly pulling stuff out onto the pavement of the rest stop. Anyone driving by must have wondered what is that idiot doing. There is no money in the wallet but of course all ones cards and my fishing license of course. A while ago I wonder if I will be fishing with no rods but now maybe no license.
The search is to no avail so I turn around and head the 10km back to Merritt. I try not to speed as if I get pulled over and no license would be hard to explain. I also wonder where I might have dropped it, at the gas station I bet. I hope someone is honest who have maybe picked it up as I have done over the years with close to a couple of dozen of both wallets and Cell phones returned. I remember dropping my wallet years ago while launching a boat but a person returned it to the RCMP. Will I be lucky this time too?
I finally reach the gas station and as I start to turn in towards the pumps I see a black thing lying on the pavement. It’s where I had parked before going into Canadian Tire. Whew, third time lucky today, a keno win and my rods back from Dave and now my wallet.
I head east again feeling good again, I notice people fishing Nicola Lake from the shore, should try that one day. I then turn up Douglas Lake Road and I see the smoke Dave talked about and about 6 Km up I see the substation. I get out and film and get some stills but do not stay long as the bugs are bad and hard to hold the camera still as I suffer many bites. As well who wants to breath that air in. As I head back to the main road again the fire truck is arriving. I hope to find out more how this started and I think of the fire at Lickman Road in Chilliwack a few months ago, is this similar?
To be continued.
http://youtu.be/bbsNCXH_0KQ is the video of the fire I filmed.
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Topic: Lakes around Merritt, June 24th - 27th 2012 (Read 2814 times)