A chance to really help someone in immediate need comes only once in a while. I had a chance like that this morning. I had picked up my clients for the morning at their rental house on the river. After a good morning of fishing I dropped them off at their dock and headed toward the harbor. Since it was a nice morning and the tide suited perfectly I decided to fish one of my favorite shallow coves. I pulled up into the cove, made a cast and was instantly fast to a fish that broke the tippet. The morning's client had been using the rod and I am sure that it had a knot in it. After tying on a new tippet I made another drift and caught a few fish.
As I was deciding whether to make another drift or go home and get some of the work done on my desk. I heard a child's voice call very loudly for daddy. I am beyond the loud call for daddy years with my boys but still I looked instinctively out of the cove. A kayak was upside down about a half mile from where I was. I quickly put aside the fly rod and motored over to see if I could help. The kayak had tipped over and by this time the father had gotten his son of about 4 back into the boat full of water but did not know for sure what he was going to do next.
I came alongside and asked the boy if I could pick him up and put him in my boat he agreed and I had him aboard in an instant. Next I had the dad help me position the kayak and dump the water out of it. After it was empty I laid it across the gunnels of the Lund and gathered up the floating shoes and paddle. I helped the dad climb aboard over the stern, not and easy task as he was bigger than me and exhausted from the cold water dunking.
When I turned my attention back to the boy he was shivering pretty hard from the cold and shock. I wrapped him up in my fleece and rain jacket and had the dad keep an eye on him while I motored them back to where they were staying on the other side of the cove. We were greeted at the dock by mom who was very relieved to see them both. The dock was in the back of a very shallow cove and the tide was rapidly falling so I needed to leave before I was forced to spend the rest of the morning on a mud flat. The rest of the trip home was uneventful. The moral of the story is plain; please wear your life vest, I would not have been there in time if either of them had not been able to float in the water for the minutes it took me to arrive from only a half mile or so away.
I have been very busy this summer guiding both fishing trips and canoe trips. The weather has been a challenge at times but seems to be settling into the regular summer pattern. Cool fog in the morning, clearing by late morning and a sea breeze in the afternoon. Make sure that you get out and spend some time enjoying it. Call or e-mail if I can help!
Best regards,
Don Kleiner
Master Maine Guide
