SunRae writes:
This first story comes to us from a good ole boy from Montana. I've heard it said that people have never had a bad day fishing; well after reading this story I kinda questioned that. This story is true and I have not changed the names to protect the innocent, because there weren't any. HA HA !
A Good Deed Gone Wrong
by Wendell Terry
AKA: Mountainfish
Well where do I begin?????
Yeah I know at the beginning.
OK here goes a couple of my friends from colo. were building a house for
Ray's folks up in Polson (it's in the northwestern part of the state)
well they called and ask if I could come up and help them set the
trusses on the house. Well being the goodhearted kinda guy I am, I said yes.
So we loaded up the little S-10 chevy stepside ( 97 nice truck) and away
we went on our great adventure to Polson.
We got there about noon on that friday and started setting trusses.
We were done by 5;30. They thought it would take 2 days but they forgot that
SUPER CARPENTER was there, soooooo we planned a fishing trip on
Flathead lake the next day. Sat. am we loaded up the boat (21ft larson
i/o) and away we went to the lake the 4 of us. Fifteen minutes later, poof we
was in the water fishing. Took a run down to the dam and started trolling
back and forth. Things was going fine, what more could a guy ask for fishing with wife
and 2 of his best buddys. Trolling along around the big island of Wild Horse, not really careing if we caught
a fish or not. We headed across
the lake at the widest part mind you (17 miles across ) and we was there trolling along and decided to fire up the izuzu
motor and head for Yellow Bay and try and catch some lunkers. When we
reached crusin speed we heard a big vibration. So we shut the boat down to
check it out nothing could be found so throttle up again vibration again.
damn! So on further search found that we was taken on water, about 50-60
gal because one of the petcocks was left open. By who knows who(that darn
not me guy)? So turned bilge pump on bracket, broke! That holds it down so
mind you NOT one of my good buddys, but me the nice guy that I am take
it into my own hands and stood on my head, wormed my way down in
there, held it in place and pumped it out with all the gas fumes. Man OH Man what a head ache that was but saved the boat, the day and off we
went again to the middle of the biggest natural lake in the U.S.of A. It's 17
miles at the widest part, 365 ft deep at the deepest part. When POOF! POP!
HISS! Boat Died dead, no more purring like house cat. Dead, I mean as a door
nail, right in the smack dab middle of this big ass lake. Well we all
looked at each other and we all said almost at the same time, CHYT now
what? In the mean time winds was getting worse, already 3-4ft swells. Well
after looking at each other for a few minutes off come the cover again.
Nothing seemed off, broken, on fire, or water logged. We being the great
mechanics that we aren't started turning this and that NOTHING, NOT A
DAMN THING. Swells getting rougher and wind blowing harder, I me the
great one started getting sea sick (why do they call it sea sickness????
I'm in the middle of an DAMN LAKE; up comes eggs, and bacon, milk, coffee,
and belly button. WHEW must be all that bobbing up and down side to side
stuff huh?
Here we was in the middle of the lake no motor in this $30,000.00 hunk
of fiberglas and paint with the nearest terra firma about 7 miles away.
You had to strain your eyes to see a tree. We sat sick, dumbfounded and a
little concerned about the future. Hour by hour wave by yet a bigger
wave goes by nothing, notta, zlich.
When finally out of the big waves a boat is in sight quick get the flare
gun, send warning shot, anything, get the boats attention. Closer he comes
right up to us and says TROUBLE?? Oh heck no no trouble at all. You well
you know what we must have said BUT we didn't. WE said yes been broke
down for nearly 6 hrs and sick for 5 1/2 of that, pucked my damn toenails
up, I did. WE WAS RESCUED, almost felt like kissn the ol boy when we tied
a line on. Off we went across the swells at least 4-5 ft high and
that started me a pucking and barfing all over again, but we was RESCUED.
off to boat ramp at Blue bat, because Yellow Bay dosen't have a ramp. SOOOOO 3miles
of this and we FINALLY REACH DRY GROUND at all most dark but we was on
dry ground and the truck 31 miles around the other side of this big ass
lake. So being the kinda guy I am I went lookn for a ride to the truck, ON
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE. Four camp spots later of begging for a ride,
found one so off we went, me and larry. Ray and shelly stays with the dog
(shelly's lap hound ) and boat. Be back in 1 hour at most. Whew! Well we
started heading back to town an this ol boy that was giving us the ride says "I don't know why my
wife didn't put gas in the car today when she was in town" larry say's to
him we are gonna go by Wendell's truck and where we was staying, just
drop us of there. OH NO; the good ol boy say's, Larry say's oh yes. Well
that went back and forth for about 5 miles and I said ok drop us of and
i'll give ya a 10 spot. Well we got dropped off at my truck went to give
him the money, oh no replies the good ol boy no thanks, off in the sunset
he goes. My luck has changed (I thought) we jump in the truck. take off to ramp
where we put in at 7;30 that morning. We got there in 15 minutes. WE HAD
TO PEE, so we stopped at the restrooms by the parking lot, with parking
curbs. Shut the truck off, take keys out, set parking brake. In the restroom we
go, both of us, not one at a time, but both of us. Right in the middle of
this full bladdered pee; we hear HEY! HEY! Well Larry thought to shut the
door, but when he got to the door, little red truck was rolling towards
the lake. He tried to stop it by grabbing a hold of tail gate, not a
chance in hell of stopping this little red truck so by the time i got
there, front end was over the breakwater and into the lake it went. CHYT!
DAMN! OH CHYT! Now what? Call 911 with some ones cell phone (mine was in
the truck) 2 minutes after placing the call cops, buddy, i do mean cops was
there. CITY COPS, INDIAN COPS, COUNTY COPS, STATE COPS, any and every kinda
cop you could think of. Well after 3 hours, 2 divers, and 1 tow truck, the little
red truck was pulled from the bottom of FLATHEAD LAKE. Where was ol Shell?
In the dark with her lap dog 17 miles striaght across the lake. chyt, with
all the commotion and COPS EVERYWHERE I FORGOT ABOUT RAY AND OLSHELL.
Well after paper work was done and little red truck heading off to drowned
truck heaven, we took off for the better half. When we was driving 31
miles back to where they was I, jokingly said we'll tell them we stopped at
the bar for just one and lost track of time. WELL LET ME TELL YA OL BUDDY
THAT WENT OVER LIKE A TURD IN A PUNCH BOWL AT A WEDDING. I finally got
her calmed down enough to tell her the truth and you have never seen a
look like that in all your put together. Then she started to cry when
Larry said it was true little red truck went into the lake .
THE END!
OF THE TRUCK AND STORY
.................FISH.....................
P.S the truck had full coverage insurance on it and I only had it
15 days
well niters ol buddy take care
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