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3. Trout & Hailstorm

Had a great time fishing to lots of rising fish a couple of which looked larger than most by the size of the rise forms. But I was unsuccessful in catching those fish. I did get two that may have been last years holdovers because both pectoral fins were fully grown out and undeformed (for those not in PA our fish commission typically amputates one pectoral fin)

This was really an unremarkable fishing trip as the size and quantity was no different than my last two trips there. However just as I was walking back to the car the sky turned pretty much steel gray and as I was taking off my boots a big wind came up and I scrambled to get into the car just as the first rain drops, and hailstones, began to hit the groud. It was the worst hail storm I'd ever witnessed and I'm imaging it is the kind that people from the Midwest talk about when they say "That hail was as big as golf balls". Because it was! It started to rain and storm at 3:00 and by 3:13 it was over. The following pictures is the result of this hail storm. I'm pretty sick about it since this I bought this 2014 Ourback new in August of 2013.

There are over 100 significant dents on the hood, roof, front fenders, and chrome window trim. I imagine a body shop can replace the hood and hammer out or pull out the dents in the fenders but how in the world can they remove the dozens of big dents on the roof?

Wow Matt, I can only imagine what it must have sounded like sitting inside the car. As a Midwesterner my worst hail experience to date was a storm that came through in April of 2004 with hail stones approaching the size of baseballs. It took out my Chevy pickup, my Tahoe, the metal roof on a 25'x 140' storage building and the shingled roof over 1600 sq ft of shop space. Thank God for insurance. Anyway, to answer your question, they used a process known as "Paintless Dent Repair" on the vehicles. Absolutely amazing.

P.S. I'm surprised you didn't try to one-up Brookyman and fish it out.

Wow! Quite the experience. Can you imagine what it would feel like if those hit you? Just look at what it did to the vehicle!

Yep, I was thinking "what if I'd been 1/4 mile down river instead of just about 40 yards from the car?" The noise as they bombarded the rood and hood was pretty scary to tell you the truth! I think I would of hunkered down along the bank under some streamside willows and used my vest to protect my head.

I was lucky in a way as the car was stationary. Imagine driving along at 55 mph when these hailstones starting flying down at you probably at a pretty high velocity too. That is why many of the cars I saw along the roadside had windshields and back windows that were not just cracked but totally blown out with shards of broken glass throughout the interior of the vehicle.

The weather man on our local TV channel said that hailstones got that big because they started way up around 50,000 feet and some how they were falling down to the warmer air where the moisture was then they were pulled back up to the high altitude, got colder, then fell again and picked up more moisture, then back up and froze and that is how he explained the large size.

Geeeeez, Matt, you are having quite the season this year, aren't you? Your trips just keep getting more interesting, and not apparently from the fishing...

At least you caught fish today. I got skunked on the Pine, saw a lot more insects than I did on the Rifle yesterday but almost no risers, except for a couple of dinkers that couldn't even fit my flies in their mouths...but no hailstorms, either! And joyously, almost no mosquitoes.

Jonathon

Yep, this year is surely full of unpleasant surprises. Getting stuck on the wrong side of the river, getting caught in an epic hail storm, my fly reel spool falling out. The being on the wrong side and the hail storm were both on the same stream up near Reading, PA. Maybe I should just stay away from there!

What's next?? Last year I broke one of my Gatti rods on that stream. I'm thinking my next misadventure will be I break another rod or I forget to put the plugs in the bass boat and when I come back from parking the car & trailer the transom will already be underwater and the boat sinks while I watch helplessly.

Here's one for you Matt. My Uncle had a Bass Tracker which was tied up to the dock at the resort while he went in to eat lunch. Inside the live well was a sucker on a harness with a large cork bobber for muskie fishing. The live well pump was on to keep fresh water flowing. When he finished lunch he went down to the dock and found his boat completely submerged. The bobber had been drawn into the over flow.

Well I finally had a chance to see the claims adjuster yesterday. He took pictures and surveyed the damage. He told me to go out and just get one price estimate to repair and then he would negotiate with that person to arrive at the price the insurance company will pay. The quote to repair, replace hood, roof, front fenders, windhsield, and all other damage is $10,400. The body shop man told me it would take from a week to ten days once he gets the okay from insurance and receives the OEM parts.

OUCH!!! My condolences Matt. I hope insurance covers as much of it as possible.

Jonathon

As it stands right now I'm covered sans my deductible. I also get a rental car for up to 30 days.