yak2you2
2010-02-02 11:13:45
Last spring I had about 90 feet of wire out on my Pacific King hand gurdies, I saw a good size fish start pumping away on one side. Now, they havn't made Pacific Kings for about 20-30 years, and mine are probably as tired or worse than most in the fleet. I got about a fathom of wire back, and POP! busted my main gurdy shaft! So now I'm standing there with my gurdy in my hand, attached to 90 feet of trailing wire, which runs over a pulley and down to a 30 lb. cannon ball, with a 20 lb. king, thinking,,,,,,,what to do. Fact is, I was thinking a lot worse things than that at that particular moment, if you've never pulled wire by hand let me tell you, it's no fun, and likely the wire you get back will be shot for the experience.
It was then that I had an epiphany. I simply took the gurdy off of the shaft on the other side, put the broken gurdy on that shaft, and cranked it in from the other side of the boat. Got the fish, and it worked so well I even put the broken side back out so I could tow straight. Of course it was winter king season, and slow enough fishing that I could afford the extra time of switching the gurdies out, but it worked good for the rest of the day until I could get home and replace the broken shaft. If you have to do it, don't trust all to your doughnut, tie which ever gurdy is no longer attached off to something just in case.Handy trick to know if your in a pinch.
Salty
2010-02-02 14:24:35
Great story Yak,
I spent about 5 hours working on broken shear pins on my port tip day before yesterday. I think there is a quote that goes "Necessity is the mother of invention". I one time fixed a power gurdie that broke on opening day with a combination of stainless wire, Marine Tex, and I think a bolt I filed to fit where needed. Took about 40 minutes in the middle of the opening day morning bite but keeping that line fishing the whole day helped.
Also helps to have spares of almost everything. I have a spare set of Easthopes in the yard and another one in the shop. Time to go fishing and extend my streak of skunks.
Hope you are catching a few in Yakutat in this unseasonally nice weather.