A Week on the Outer Banks

So it's the week leading up to Labor Day. Me and some friends are in a rental home in Avon--two days in. We're right next to the Avon Pier-- a long wooden pier that's hilly in places (really) and grayed like drift wood. It's one of my favorite things about the vacation, so far. Costs a buck for a "sightseer" pass and gives you access to the pier up to midnight, when it normally closes. Of course fishing is a different price-- $10/day. You can drink on the pier, which is a bonus.

Doug's been out there fishing. Today he was the rockstar of Spanish Mackerel fishing, yanking them in off the end of the pier with a plain white gotcha plug. No other guy there could manage it, their retrieves were not nearly the same as his--their poles were dropped and the pole snaps too small, I think. Doug was playing the pole out the side with more vigorous snapping and reeling. At the very end of the day he lost his only white gotcha with no more available in the pier house (if they'd been available those other guys would have snatched them up anyway). None of them had a plain white one, either.

Since he lost his, tonight we went on a white "gotcha" hunt to the area tackle shops. Only one that had them was the Frisco Rod and Gun shop about 20 mins south of here. Wow, is all I have to say about this place. Stocked to the gills with tons of inventory. Let's just say they'll have to restock those white gotachas tomorrow!

How we almost got struck by lightning this afternoon....