5 guys and a rod.. an amazing story!

In my experience, bad luck or misfortune is sometimes followed with extreme good luck.  I want to share with you the story of 5 guys and a rod, it is a true story!  I am sure, there are lessons to be learned in many ways from this tale... Enjoy

5 Guys and a Rod...

This story starts with a trip to Cherry Creek that I took on Friday Oct.18th.  If you recall, a pretty big snowstorm was hitting the Denver area in the wee hours of the morning.  I struggled through the snow to make it to the lake by 4 am with my boat.  Once there, I did the inspection paperwork, cut the seal and launched the boat.  I was eager to start, and after that 10 lb 'eye that I know has my name all over it!

The lake was cold, fog was rising from the waters surface, as the snow fell down around me in the boat.  I motored around the lake slowly, looking for fish, or baitfish, and working out my plan.  I was to pick up a friend of mine at 6:30 to fish with me for a couple hrs. There was not another soul on the lake.

At 6:30, I picked up Mark, and we immediately started jigging.  Booom!  Fish on!  I reeled it up, it was a nice walleye! I reached behind me, to grab the net out of the vertical rod holder when it happened.  I had my favorite rod, a St Croix Eyecon, 6'8" Medium, extra fast tip, my go to jerkbait and general purpose all around rod in the holder as well.  Unbeknownst to me, the reel handle had gotten in a loop in the net, when I pulled out the net, I heard a "Ker-plunk".  I glanced at my buddy Mark, who had a horrified look on his face, and said what went overboard?  He yelled, Set a way point!  I did and netted the eye I had caught and he told me I had lost a rod overboard!  I knew then... which rod, and felt a sick feeling in my stomach! We circled the spot, and tried to snag up the rod to no avail.  Writing it off as a loss for now, I went back to fishing and soon caught a 20" walleye.  Then the bite turned off.  I stayed at the lake until 3 pm, jigging, and I kept going back to that waypoint and trying all around there to hook my rod. But, I never did catch it.

I had talked to my friend, Nate Zelinsky, and had told him of my success at the lake that morning, as well as the loss of my rod.  He offered his congrats and condolences, and I went home.  Later that night, I talked to several of my friends who fish the lake often, mentioned the spot and told them about the rod.  It was not caught.

Sunday afternoon , Nate texts me asking what reel was on my rod.  I told him it was the Pflueger President 6935, with brand new braid on it.  A few hrs later, he asks me what lure was tied on, and I told him none, as it was in my rod rack when I lost it.  He says to me, that someone caught my rod Sunday, and he knows who it is and is going to get it back for me!  I was ecstatic!

Enter 2 very fine gentleman, Chris and Jon, who happened to be fishing Cherry Creek Sunday morning!  Jon had a guided trip scheduled with Nate for Monday morning up in the hills.  Nate called Jon to finalize their trip, and found out he and his buddy Chris had been at Creek that morning.  When he asked how they did and the bite was, Jon told him that they caught a crappie, and carp, and the best catch of the day, a St Croix Rod!  As he related the story to me, Chris was reeling in his cast when he felt a weight on the line, figuring he had hooked a stick, as he had caught one earlier, he just reeled it up.  When it broke surface, as he put it.. " it was a really nice stick!".  They left the lake and went home.  Chris took the rod and reel with him, and Sunday night cleaned up the rod, showed his son how to take apart the reel, took it apart, cleaned it, oiled it, greased it back up and re assembled it.  He no more than got it put away, when Jon called and said Nate knows the owner of the rod and reel!

Without hesitation, they agreed to return the rod and reel to me.  Nate gave Jon my number, and Jon called me to set up a return time meet! As I talked to Jon on the phone, I could tell that he was glad to have found the owner.  Jon and Chris are members of Fish Explorer, and fish metro waters regularly. We agreed to meet at the lake around 6 am this past Sunday.

The meeting happened Sunday without a hitch, and I must say, that it was an extreme joy of mine to meet these fine gentleman, talk with them, exchange fishing tips, and hear the whole story of the lost rod.  I asked Jon what I could do to return the favor to them, his reply was.. Let's go walleye fishing sometime!  I said "Of course!" and walleye fishing we will do! Jon and Chris are in a gold Lund, with a black top. I urge any of you to greet these fellows as they are fine gentleman and anglers!

Bottom line my friends.. Jon and Chris didn't have to return the rod and reel, they could have kept it and no one would have known differently.  Nate Zelinsky could have not tried to find who had caught the rod, but he did.  Mark could have called me a dumb-ass when I lost the rod overboard, but he didn't.  I should not have had the net and rod next to each other.. but I did!  If any of these events had not have happened though..I probably would not have had the opportunity to meet Jon and Chris, and make new friends and memories with them! And get my rod back!

What an amazing series of events occurred with the loss and subsequent return of a treasured, favorite rod!

My thanks to all who were involved in this.. a story of 5 guys and a rod.

Good fishing!
Tiny