Things That DO SCARE Me When Fishing!!

[FishHeadRic]

OK, so the other day I was out fishing on the North Shore of Long Island. I had made my way out to one of my local Honey holes, Target Rock on the north side of Loyd Neck. I've posted several times about this place and have come to know the area like the back of my hand. (And trust me, I know the back of my hand! )

 

While out there fishing I saw this insanely huge storm cell come from the west. This thing had to be at least six miles high and about 10 miles across at the bottom. When I first spotted it it was just over the city, (NYC) and coasting along the Connecticut shore line. NYC is about 30 miles away from me so I figured I'd have a little time to get onto shore and wait it out. I reeled in my lines and took another look back over my shoulder to absolute horror! The entire shore line of Connecticut to the west was gone! Just engulfed in black and lightning and all of this was moving strait for me. I was a good quarter mile from the shore and really just scared poop-less. The thing that was most eerie about the whole situation was that where I was there was absolutely NO wind.

 

I grabbed my paddle and started booking it for the shore just listening to what was goin' on behind me. All of a sudden the wind went from 0 to 5 and then to 15 mph. Then it just turned into a strait 40-45 mph gale. I could feel the wind pushing me toward the shore, Thank God! cause at this point I wasn't too far but by now the sky above me had gone Charcoal Grey/green. I must have hit the shoreline doing about 10 knots cause my boat almost beached clear out of the water. I leaped off, pulled it up the beach and ran under a dock for cover.

 

Squatting under the dock I was blasted with sand for about 20 minutes while lightning was smacking down everywhere. I've seen some really crazy weather before but I can honestly say that I've never been in fear of my life before. Never!

 

Last Friday around 5:15pm I was instilled with this fear.

 

As quick as this storm came over me it was gone. Long Island sound was just churned like butter right in front of me and as the storm moved past in moved the most beautiful calm weather. Just creepy.

 

So this morning I got an email from a friend of mine who lives one town over from me. He works at a yacht club and his story of the same storm was even more fantastic. The yacht club he works at in Oyster Bay had a tornado come down right in front of them and then move off into the entrance of the bay. I guess once a tornado hits water it's considered a water spout but what ever you wanna it it's still scary as hell.

 

 

A bunch of people he was with snapped off a lot of shots of this thing.

 

 

These first two his buddy took from the launch boat he was operating. They were trying to go around the mooring field and pick up as many people as they could. Really frantic and scary situation he said.

 

These next two were from his camera. He was back at the boat house on radio detail.

 

 

 

The point that the tornado (water spout) is in front of is Billy Joel's house. Lucky for him it didn't make land fall again/ It just disappeared into the sky right in front of his boat dock.

 

This summer, this year has had some of the CRAZIEST freak storms I've ever witnessed here on the Island. It's really got me wondering what effects we are responsible for here or is Mother Nature just ticked to high hell.

 

Oh yeah, I don't like Killer Bees.

 

FHR

Edited August 12, 2008 by FishHeadRic

[ccmtcanada]

YIKES!!!!!!! That would scare the poop out of me too....on the water or not!

 

Glad to hear you made it back to shore....come to think of it, it's really fortunate the the wind pushed you towards shore and not to open water.

 

Killer bees??? LOL....I suppose I don't like them either.

 

Very cool/scary pictures.

[forrest]

Wow, intense stuff. Water spouts seem to be everywhere in the NE.

 

Any idea what happened to those boats in the pic?

[FishHeadRic]

He didn't say if there was any damage to any boats. From where it was in the pics it should have been smack dab in the center of the main channel so no boats moored there at least.

 

FHR

Edited August 12, 2008 by FishHeadRic

[TJQ]

HEy.. thats cool... good to see ya back around Ric!

[FishHeadRic]

HEy HEy BJ! hehe Good to be back!

[Nanook]

If I got caught in weather like that, I'd bend down, put my head between my knee's. and disapear up my

[highdrifter]

YOWSAH that's totally wild! Looks like you sought shelter in the nick of time. I wonder though, if you were getting pulled by a giant striper towards such impending doom, would you break him off and turn back?!

 

Anybody reporting bunker on their front lawns??!

 

Right-on brotha. You'll be swishing in 20 foot swells after that one. Piece of Cake.

 

cheers

HD

[Hooked]

Musta been something to witness that, CRAZY! I have to say, the weather has been ludicrous here too, but not that ludicrous! BTW, glad to hear your buddies place didn't get hit, and I don't like Killer Bees either, or fire ants.

[cplummer]

nice pics.. makes for wind drifting alot easier....

[Greencoachdog]

Been there done that with being caught on the water in a storm and fearing for my life... once! It has not and will not happen again!!!

 

I keep a closer eye than most on the weather while on the water, and won't stray too far from safety if conditions are less than favorable for storms.

[Rich]

So ... you moved to New York? When did that happen?

[snag]

Best tie a loooong rope to your leg and anchor it to shore next time you go out kayaking.

At least we can i.d your leg in case you get sucked to death.

[Spiel]

....Yikes I'd have pooped myself......twice. Glad you made shore safely and without injury Ric.

[mattyk]

thats pretty freeky!

[johnnyb]

I had to laugh out loud when you mentioned grabbing your paddle! From the description at that point, I figured you were in a motor boat....glad you made it back though --- u ended up with a great story