Every year we get ambushed by how fast the walleye spawn comes and goes. I swear, when I tucked my new to me, old Lund boat, I promised myself I’d be ready. Was I successful at that, Nope!

Whats my excuse this year? Well, it’s like this, When I bought my boat last year, while towing it home the transmission went out on my Yukon I was planning to tow the boat with. So rebuild the Transmission and of course it’s a bad job and it’s no longer reliable enough to drive more than 5 miles at a time. So vehicle number one out of commission. Then my second towing vehicle is my old square suburban. I runs well and is set up to tow with trailer brakes and all the good stuff. So I use the old burb to go get car parts in Casper. I’m towing the car trailer and of course it’s a typical Wyoming day. Honest 70 mph head winds all the way to Casper. Well pushing it hard I notice when I’m almost there, no oil pressure and I’m feeling loss of power. Well that’s not good. I finally find a place to stop that would have oil. As I pull up and open my door, of course the engine is knocking and I kill the engine quickly. Open the hood oh baby its hot. Well that’s a kick in the teeth.  

I go into the store and get a 5-quart jug of good oil. I pour in the first three quarts and check the dipstick. Still no oil. So I dump the last two quarts in. Well now it’s just below the full. I jump in and hit the starter. Oh it struggles to start but finally does. Rattle and clatter. Sounds like the neighbor kids with a metal bucket full of rocks shaking it to achieve the most noise possible. As it runs it gets smoother and quieter. Oil pressure comes up and I’m doing the oh dang please let me be lucky just this once. – Well, it actually came back around and oil pressure climbed and it smoothed out. 

I retrieve the car parts I went for and come back home. Coming home was much easier. Winds had dropped a bit to 50mph. But this time it’s a tailwind. So I get home and think I’m sure I smoked this engine. Even with over 200k. I keep driving it daily and it actually comes out of it and runs as before. Old and worn out but still going. 

Now I take another trip this time into a heavy headwind again. This time a maintain pass into the wind with an old square burb. Nope! This is too much for it. I start to feel power loss and even starting to miss. 

I finish the weekend trip to see grandkids and check it when I get home. Its missing on cylinder 1 just as clearly as can be. Well now my second towing vehicle is out of commission. So now, I’m screwed. Need to come up with thousands to rebuild transmission and engine so I can go fishing. So that’s my excuse. 

 I’m online a lot and watching my friends post pictures of catching fish. I’m envious, no, I’m actually jealous. 

So as I’m trying to get through the morning and preparing for work my buddy Jake, sends me a snap chat with a picture of a great 18-inch rainbow he just caught on a fly that he tied. While I’m not much into trout, I do love to fly-fish. Now remember, I’m jealous of my buddies going fishing. So I send him our customary, oh you bugger…  Catching fish without me thing. 

I express my regret for not fishing yet and of course he has to rub it in. I said that post fits right into my column I’m about to write. 

His reply was “What’s that, some jobless trout bum stackin hogs/” 

Of course at this time he sends me the laughing immoggi and rubs it in. He then takes another picture and sends it with a tape measure. It’s a beautiful bright red striped Rainbow Trout stretching past the 18-inch mark. 

So you see, spring fever works well for those who are luckier than I am. But I swear next year I’m gonna be on the docs waiting for the ice to melt.

Mechanic help is needed. I will supply the beer if anybody wants to help swap a motor or two and a transmission or two. Heck I’ll even throw in a fishing trip.