Three days alone in the jungle

The first challenge was to set up the thruster engine. Not that hard but still had to be done. I did secure it with some rope also. Would’ve been fun to come back without the thruster engine. One thing I didn’t figure out was that I didn’t have to remove the thruster engine every day. But I didn’t want to risk it smash into something with the boat drifting around during the night.

Remembering what things that one need to go fishing in the jungle took some thinking and returning to the battleship for restocking. You really want the grease for the leader, if the leader starts to sink while you wait for the shot you are smoked. Some silicone for the slip and shoot is also nice to have. And I’m not sure that my idea of using sunscreen on the leader instead of axel grease would have worked. Forgetting the forceps isn’t a good idea for snakehead and other toothy critters. That would have been something. A snakehead stuck to my sunscreen greased leader. And no chance of unhooking it.

Sunday, the first day.

Paul asked me where I would go fishing. I told him my idea was to go back in the same direction we came back the last night. That wasn’t true, well that was my idea but I ended up going in the complete opposite direction. Because I had no clue where we had been. I found some areas that looked kind of good and then an other area that looked really good. A deep and narrow bay, kind of like a river. I met a snakehead or two on the way in, like they were coming to meet me and tell me they know I were there. In one part of the river I found a number of free risers and felt like I would be able to get a shot in. Just with the problem of positioning the boat. That is hard. Setting up the correct drift with the thruster, even getting the thruster in with some stealth isn’t the easiest. Turning the handle in the correct direction. But it was like the fish knew I was there. And they probably did, much earlier than I realised. It had started to rain heavily so I thought they might be a bit less cautious and don’t see as well what was going on. But the heavy rain meant that I had put my raincoat and rain pants on. My raincoat is white snow camo. I thought that could work good against the sky. Maybe, but not against the jungle. I had no chance. Camo when fishing for snakehead isn’t just to look good it has a purpose. I thought there might be a little bit of something in the advice to this. But I would say it is mandatory.

I head back to the boat to checkin on Paul and rest a bit. Paul is still totally lost. But at least now I can send him information about the area I intend to visit. I head back to scout the area around the river thing and then head back to the area where I found the fish. I didn’t find any other fish so I give the fish I found earlier a go. They were still there but it was like they were expecting me. I felt revealed as soon as I got there. At least I had a bit better control of the boat this time. I spent some time here but couldn’t even get into position to get a shot away. I head back to the boat to check on Paul. Still sleeping, wonder what’s wrong. This might be kind of bad.

Heading out again, not for long this time. Didn’t find anything. Got some casting practice in. Heading back to the boat. Seems Paul still isn’t up. Until Paul comes flying out the window and becomes gaming there upside down for a while. How could he be throwing up for that long? He didn’t even have dinner last night. Now I feel kind of hopeless of not becoming sick. 

Spent the night forming my plan to avoid becoming sick. Calling home and talking about our situation in the boat. Going to bed and hoping that Paul will be better the next day. Trying to get Paul to the hospital would’ve been a challenge. 

Monday. 

Waking up, no sign of activity from Paul. I go check on him before heading out. He seems a bit better, he could give me some help with where I could go fishing. 

Quite windy day. Hard to spot anything. When I suddenly see something out on the open water as I’m about to leave an area. Something that looks like it could be a set of babies. I start to circle the area to spot the fish and setup the shot. It was a free riser and I manage to get a shot away but no reaction. I continue to circle the area and as I’m about to leave the fish rises again. Behind a stump with branches. The shot is very good and the fish starts to follow. This is so exciting, thinking the fish will take. And such a deload when the fish suddenly turns away. For a while there it almost felt like I knew what I was doing.  

Being alone in the boat is hard. Harder to spot the fish. Hard to position the boat. But I think it has one advantage. You don’t have time to psyche yourself up too much anticipating the shot when you are busy controlling the boat. Especially with a little wind, then it is hard. 

It is hard trying to spot fish in the wind. Very hard. I don’t spot anything more. I head back towards the boat I think. But no, I head in the wrong direction and have to turn back. Figuring out the proportions from the map and reality is hard sometimes. 

Back at the boat, Paul is still far from good. I rest. Standing up driving the boat and searching for fish is hard. I was actually sore in my legs when I woke up from yesterday’s fishing. 

Out on the lake again. The wind is not helping. I cannot find any fish. The feet start to ache from standing on the wood and aluminium all day without any kind of damping. I’ll take shoes tomorrow. Even if the smell might kill something. The number of spots that feel fishable in these conditions aren’t many. I head back to the boat. 

Paul seems a bit better. He has eaten something today at least. Hopefully he will be on his feet before it is time to head home. Dinner is a bag of nuts and a couple of beer. 

Tuesday. 

This morning Paul is more awake. I get better directions of which areas to fish. From the gate to the fish farm. A Norwegian fish farm here. Is there some part of the world where they aren’t working hard to destroy?

I fish the area Paul has pointed out. Very little activity. The only certain activity I find is a free riser changing territory. But I lose the fish before getting any shot in. The wind and the fact that I only have one contact lens today isn’t helping. This morning when putting in the contacts the left one felt weird. When I inspected it something looked off so I tossed it. Not worth risking an eye for. 

I could see decently during the day but it takes more energy not having correction. 

I make a miss in the navigation when I get to the fish farm so I head back to the boat to check on Paul. When I’m back he complains about the boat rocking. The boat has been rocking for three days now. That cannot feel great when you are sick in a fever. He looks a bit worse than this morning. This morning he was even sitting up for a bit. This morning I forgot the forceps when heading out and when heading back for it I learned something new. Boga grips are useful when dehooking a toothy critter like a snakehead. 

After some rest I decide to head out again. I go to tell Paul about my plan but he is sleeping again. I search the area near the boat. I find an interesting bay but have to abort, someone is laying a net across the whole bay. I see two free risers but nothing more. I head back to the boat. 

Back at the boat and Paul is awake. He seems better. I can tell by his voice. It is stronger. He wonders why I’m already back. He always fishes until it is dark. Well I like to be able to find my way back to the boat. Paul talks about moving the boat to an other area the next day. Hopefully he is well enough to do that. 

Three days in a rocking boat with a stomach bug. That is hard. I have no signs of getting sick. Hopefully this means that I’m safe. 

Dinner is cheese and crackers and a beer or two. Not bad. 

This is my journal from the three bad days. Now afterwards I think it will make for an interesting story and experience. 

Cheers, Rickard