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dunamis 56, Male, Australia - 96 entries

Apr 2010
3:25 AM WST

Four Springs Miracle

Seven year old Oscar and I were the hapless victims of two fishless trips in the kayak to Curries River Dam and Brushies Lagoon chasing big trout. The disappointment of it all had the poor little fella praying to God at night that he would catch a big-un before the season closed in just a few weeks.

Unsure that God was up to doing anything about it, I felt the pressure to do something to turn things around. The days were getting shorter and with a desperate eye on the synoptic chart I looked for the break in weather that would allow for under 20km/hr winds that make for relatively comfortable fishing out of a kayak.

When it looked like a high pressure system would hover over our state on Thursday, I decided to pull the lad out of school and we'd go chasing Mr Speckles. We would go to Four Springs Lake, a relatively shallow trophy fishery one hour south of our coastal home. Stats told me that "Foursey" as its known by its devotees, produced on average one fish per angler day, which isn't much except that the typical fish is a big one.

Armed with our soft plastics and graphite rods, we left home at 8am to fish "gentleman's hours" getting on the water with the 'yak all rigged up and rolling away from the reedy calm waters at the boat ramp at 9:30. The warm autumn sun steadily climbed the blue skies bouncing off the calm mirror water that covered the lake.

After spending a couple of fruitless hours flicking soft plastics around in seven to nine feet of water without any interest from our elusive quarry a boat cruised past trolling lures out the back waving to us. We waved back as the skipper enquired about our luck. We'd had none. Had he? He'd boated five already. Strewth! What was he using? Lofty's number 71 was the reply. I had no idea what the 71 pattern was, but after further enquiry it turns out it was a yellow and black frog pattern. I dived into the forward hatch, pulling my tray of hard body lures out and selected a yellow, black and red spotted wobbler, the closest thing I had to what the guru had on. I quickly tied it onto my 8lb fluorocarbon leader, and hit the patented Mirage drive pedals trolling it out behind us.

We travelled another 500 metres still with no touches when a large fish rocketed out of the water at two o'clock, belly flopping back into the aqua with a crash 50 yards away. I thumbed the Hobie's rudder control and quickly wheeled starboard and headed straight for the spot that I had kept my eye on.

Upon reaching it I drifted the kayak and tossed the cobra out letting it sink for a few heartbeats and began to retrieve. Something told me I was winding too fast. The adrenaline in my bloodstream had hijacked my movements, but I had to slow it down. I concentrated, slowed the retrieve to a crawl so the lure would work it's magic and bang, it was hit with the ferocity only an angry buck in peak condition before spawning could.

As the fish turned and tore off, it left me with little to do except hang on. "Wind in your rod mate!" I urged the little fella, who quickly pulled in his soft plastic. I jammed the reel's drag momentarily with my thum and leaned back on the graphite to force the barbed hook deep into the fishes jaw and handed him the rod.

Brown's aren't fond of fast aerial acrobatics like their rainbow cousins, but fight harder and deeper, for longer. This one was no exception. He went deep and had to be urged toward our craft slowly and carefully with the Pflueger Medallist 1000 cranking on the yellow 6lb braid. We could see him now. Golden sunlight came flashing off his thick brown-spotted amber flanks deep in the dark stained 10 feet of water as he twisted and rolled in an attempt to leverage the hook out of his mouth.

He breeched near the boat and headed under it, the line going slack with the inexperienced fisher not keeping a keen eye on the tension. "Don't give him any slack mate!" My voice was raised. I was amped. Any slack and the fish could prise barb out of his hooked jaw with one savage head shake.

The runs were getting shorter and the fish was breeching near the kayak, but I knew he wasn't done. The boy kept winding in line getting the rod tip closer to the fish which was worrying me. I knew the fish was still green and with only a short piece of line out, one brutal charge could see everything turn to muck. We could� easily lose our quarry.

I decided I'd try for the net. I dipped it slowly into the water as the fish approached again. But spotting the net, it panicked and bolted. The drag sizzled as it peeled line off. But this is what we wanted. It's easier to fight the fish long and deep. Close quarters comobat was fraught with danger.

Again it came in as Oscar turned him and began to claw back some line. I dipped the net again, but the fish would have none of it. This was a to and fro tussle that was going too long for me. My heart was in my mouth. Would this be the answer to a little boy's prayer, or another heart breaker?

There was no more time to catch another fish if we lost this one. I had to net it. Eventually the fish began to tire and drew close once more but this time before it could turn its head I had dipped the net deep and raised it enfolding him safely. I dragged it over the side of the kayak breathing a huge sigh of relief and a whoop that echoed across the water. Oscar had made no comment during the fight, but now made it clear he was overjoyed. We despatched the fighter and with smiles all over the junior anglers face, photographed our trophy.

Time was running out. Rummaging around in the hatches, no fishing bag could be found. Damn. Oscar had no idea what was going on when I stripped off, dragging my T-shirt over my head and dunking it into the water. The autumn sun on my skin felt good. I basked in the glow of UV and waning adrenaline. The fish was wrapped in the wet T-shirt to keep it cool and stowed. I bashed the coordinates into the GPS and threw the lure back in hoping to double our luck.

Two cast later and the lure was crunched, this time by a fish that behaved very differently. A fast and mad dash was made peeling line off the reel and then a silver torpedo with a pink stripe the length of his body rocketed up out of the water, free wheeling in a crazy dance before gravity dragged it back down and out of sight.

A rainbow. Another wild run, and I was able to hand the rod to Oscar. He began to crank on the reel handle, but never did get the fish under control. One of it's body twisting desperate headshakes saw it spit the lure and was gone. We weren't disappointed though. We'd landed a four pound miracle and together gave thanks to its Maker.

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vampiricakatt 30, Female, Minnesota, USA - 102 entries

Apr 2010
12:03 PM EDT

falling face down

Its not really i mean by "falling face down" as like everything in my life is falling face down my best friend doesn't want me to go to the arts school she is going to next year and I worked �my butt off doing all the work and such to get in and I want my ocarina its a flute type thing it comes on a necklace and I would bring it everywhere and play it. And i would also look like link from the game! Ha!

Tags: friends, Games, ocarina

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5 comment(s) - 01:38 PM - 04/29/2010

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babygurl12 33, Female, Tennessee, USA - 29 entries

Apr 2010
9:33 AM EDT

yes this is a true statement .

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HelloKittyNY98 34, Female, Kansas, USA - First entry!

Apr 2010
8:56 PM EDT

i love u

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Aridane 58, Male, Belgium - 24 entries

Apr 2010
10:07 PM CEST

Words I learnt today

cochambroso adj filthy empapelar a algn (=abrir expediente) to throw the book at sb pecaminoso adj sinful terciarse si se tercia alguna vez que yo pase por allÃ - if I should happen to go that way

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PandaIzzi 26, Female, United Kingdom - 9 entries

Apr 2010
4:19 PM GMT

Hi =D

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lex 44, Female, California, USA - 137 entries

Apr 2010
1:10 AM PST

Birthday Week!!

Man am I tired for real! Had major birthday week of fun with the ladies and concerts. Monday was a surprise from Allison MGMT at the Fillmore,, Wednesday was Muse at Oracle and Friday night was the XX and� Hot Chip at the Fox in Oakland......Lovely!!� I love my family and friends!

So I went out on my second date with Kirby on Thrusday and I'm not so sure he really is nice and a real gentelman and does everything right but I'm not sure if I'm really ready for someone to get serious with yet.� But at the same time that is all I wanted from Mike was for him to make more of an effort and that is all I talk about with the ladies is really finding a genuine person to have stuff in common with and wants the same thing as I and now all of the sudden this person is presenting themselves and� now I'm getting scared and questioning wait wait do I really want this ?? Something is wrong with me I swear but I'm going to go out with him again and just keep it casual......I'm just being a girl! ahhhhhhh!� hahahaha!�

Off to the park!!

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hopelessromantic 37, Female, Philippines - 16 entries

Apr 2010
7:54 PM EET

ef.u.cee.kay! no :(

Summer,although has been not that much of� a fun,� it's kind of making me feel chill and worry-free though . I feel like I should enjoy it more than I usually do at ordinary times.When I say ordinary, it's when I've not-so boring moments at home, either just surfing the net, watching tv or I'm fast asleep. Well, it has been all good, yet far from being great when I get to remember my THESIS. It's been so long since I have a thought about it.I haven't been worrying much, not until effing� now! :(
IT really scares me. I have wasted a year,and I don't want to waste another one. Argh! I'm so damn hopless.My future is doomed. I'm gonna be stuck in here, spending so much time to beg for the signatures I need, yet I'm not gonna get them soon enough .If this predicament� lasts until� forever (Which Is kind of� possible) then it's also a way for me to say that, I AM EFFING DEAD!!! I'll be forever be such a bummed person, without anything other than frustrations and broken dreams,looking at my friends to reach the top and be happy for them. And me? or there's no me at all. I'll be like a living dead by then. helplessly Starving for success , jeopardize myself with negative thoughts and just pathetically die!

(In a nutshell, I need to have the thesis signed by some people, pass it! then have my clearance signed by the DEAN of our department--- I need the clearance to start� processing� my credentials(TOR,Diploma,etc etc) which I badly need to apply for a job. Yeah! I NEED. If I fail at the first then I fail at everything, hence domino effect! wtf

ending: Me-a-fucking-loser!

FML

Tags: dead, frustrations, negative, sad, sorrows

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Aridane 58, Male, Belgium - 24 entries

Apr 2010
4:42 PM CEST

tallos - stems
se le nubla la vista
espantado - scared
la moraleja - the moral
tienda de campa�a
rompedora - groundbreaking
en la redonda
se queda corto - to come up short
tener m�s garra

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Lolastar18 35, Female, United Kingdom - 28 entries

Apr 2010
1:52 PM EDT

Oh wow!

hey! im gonna start writing here more now. On top of school, Writing in a paper journal is tiring for my wrists :)

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