Lightning strike

On Jun 10, 6:19*am, D. LaCourse wrote:
We had a bad electrical storm in camp yesterday afternoon. *Copious
rainfall and many lightning strikes nearby, close enough to actually
shake the cabin. *We stayed inside, of course, until the worst had
past, and then sat on the porch watching the storm as it moved east.

About 6 o'clock, I noticed dark smoke coming from the north shore of
the lake. *Once before I have seen a lightning stike it that area start
a fire in a tree, but this smoke was different - it was very dark, and
there was lots of it. *I notified Whit about it and he and I took the
small boat over to find out what was happening. *Before we left the
dock we could see that it was the cabin built near the point that was
on fire. *As we got closer we saw a boat with outboard tied to the
dock. *The fire had completely engulfed the main log cabin and was
threatening a smaller cabin twenty feet to the west. *We saw no signs
of life or evidence that someone was staying at the camp.

We raced back to the dam keepers house and the proper authorities were
notified. *Meanwhile, Kirk, the damn keeper's son, loaded his boat with
hose, fittings, a Handy Billy water pump and gasoline to run it. *By
the time we got back to the fire the second cabin was ablaze. *We
worked hard to get the water to the second cabin, but it was too little
too late. *The best we could do was stop the blaze from getting into
the woods. *The earlier heavy rainfall helped contain the fire.

So, someone's very lovely remote fishing camp has been lost to one of
nature's random acts. *Chances are the camp was not insured, making the
loss that much more difficult. *Thankfully there was no loss of life
and no injuries fighting the fire.

OADN, fishing has been the best I've witnessed in more than a few
years. *Big fish, big numbers, on both dries and nymphs. *Unfortunately
we've also had big electrical storms with rain pelting down so hard
that it creeps into the nooks and crannies of the best raingear. *Since
graphite conducts electricity, I am thankful that Frank is not in camp.

Dave

And Frank has yet to wet a fly line this year. I can dodge
thunderstorms better than I can dodge work.
Frank Reid