Spring tides

Ha! That title is a bit of a play on words. Since spring has arrived, I could be referring to the time of year, but we just had a new moon, so I could also be referring to the  bigger than usual tides that come when the moon and sun align. Either way, the low tides have been  pretty good the last few days. They haven’t been exceptionally low, but they’ve lasted for about as long as you want to play in the deep swamp. I know a lot of you are saying to yourselves, “If I could, I’d stay out in the swamp and play in the mud from sun up to sun down”. Well, in an ideal world, you might, but the swamp takes it’s toll on you. I find, after I pack my gear, get out on the water, navigate to the spot where I want to play, and slog around for 90 minutes or so, I’m about done. Then there is the process of cleaning up, making your way home, loading up the gear, and tending to everything that needs cleaning or drying before it can be put up.

In any event, I took two trips into the swamp this past Thursday (March 22). The first one began after the peak of low tide. That trip was mostly to scope out locations and conditions for the low tide coming later in the day. The second trip started well before the peak of low tide. The first stop was my wooded location, where the ground is well above the low tide line, so it is accessible before the tide goes all the way out. After an hour there, it was time to check out another spot that is very low and inaccessible except at the lowest tide levels. I did some exploring in that area, until the tide reached it’s lowest point, then I jumped in with my hands tied behind my back, and sank up to my neck immediately. After a short struggle, it was time to make my way out of the swamp. The “sand fleas”, or whatever you choose to call those tiny, biting, winged bastards that tend to be unbearable in the spring, were driving me crazy. Also, the last spot I visited is difficult to get in and out of at low tide levels.

Once I got back into the sandy part of the creek, it was time to stop and clean up some of the gear. Finally, the boat was loaded on the trailer, everything else was packed in the trunk, and it was time to return home to explore the refrigerator.