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Date: August 6, 2021 Body of Water: Casco Bay, Falmouth, Maine Moon Phase: New Moon minus two days; waning crescent moon Tides: Low Tide at 8:30 PM Boat: None, shore fishing from landing float With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 4:45 AM - 6:00 AM Conditions: Clear and about 60 degrees F, very calm; water temperatures unknown (?!?!?); Quadrant III I called it; I knew this was going to be a productive tide. My blood-worm touched down on my first cast, and almost immediately, the float went down. I came tight to a larger-than-average striper. I fought it for several minutes; it alternated strong runs with dives toward the float's anchor lines and shoreline rocks. Unfortunately, the hook popped out. Oh well, this perfect morning would have some imperfections. The next 15 minutes or so featured more fast action, with three bass landed between 20 and 27 inches. I was already concerned about my bait supply! Things slowed down enough for me to deploy a second float. I caught another small bass (maybe 18 inches long). As I was re-baiting, and as I watched in mild horror, my bait-runner rig got pulled off the float. It was just out of reach and tantalizingly close; but I was unable to snag or retrieve. The reel was newish, but the rod was a fine G. Loomis blank around which I had built my first steelhead rod in 1995. It had certainly served me well, and I'd gotten my value out of it; I will miss it! I finished the day with another 20-inch bass at 5:27; the sun had not yet risen! My last two worms were stolen by thieves (mackerel?), and I spent my last 15 minutes glumly and ineffectively dredging for my rod. What do I have to say about this? After a really stressful week, I was a bit off. I didn't make the most of my chances, and I wouldn't be surprised if a small, unnoticed issue (such as a loop of line over my rod tip) contributed to the loss of the rod. Still, this session was beautiful in its own right, and was certainly the best part of my day (well, at least until 5 PM). And, amazingly enough, I retrieved my rod and reel at about 7 PM! A slowly and intentionally trolled tube found the line (the reel was still in bait-feeding mode). To my relief, the bass had worn through the leader and so should be fine. The line was a total loss and I have concerns about the reel, but the rod seems as good as new; at least in the sense of a heavily used piece of outdoor equipment that is over a quarter century old. I'll get it back in service soon! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways
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