I lost my "baby"

[Pete D]

My question is...how do you get a fishing hook out of an alligator's mouth? Tin whistle?

[RonKiley]

I have often wondered the same thing. I was fishing for bass near Florida Power and Light in Miami and an alligator went after one of my lures. I quickly pulled it away from him but I don't know how I would have unhooked it. Those big Gar are just as bad. I did hook a couple of those. Too bad about the weasel especially since it is not replaceable.

Ron

[Henke]

Cuting the line would probably be a wise decision. The alligator will probably spit it out sooner or later so I don't think there'll be much harm done to it.

[Lambchop]

Cuting the line would probably be a wise decision. The alligator will probably spit it out sooner or later so I don't think there'll be much harm done to it.

Yup. Cut the line as close to the gator as possible, I believe. You don't want to lose an arm while trying to retrieve your lure, nor do you want to be arrested for molesting an alligator, which is highly illegal here. You'll do less time for selling drugs to kindergarteners.

If you hook a bird, however, you are not supposed to cut the line. Either take it to a rescue center or push/pull the hook completely through with pliers after cutting off the eyelet end.

[mvhplank]

Or, better still, since the flotation device would still allow it to float away, you can follow the famous military practice of simply tying one end of a string to it and the other to your pants. Perhaps a length of very fine fishing line tied through the bottom hole. Do that with all your loose bits and you'll never have to worry about losing your wallet, your keys, your pocket knife, or anything else, even if you, yourself, end up swimming.

That makes sense.

I remember that My Kid was wandering around in garb somewhere (a Ren Faire?) with her whistles tethered to her waist. They were affixed by the bottom hole with pretty ribbon. It did not seem to render them unplayable, either.

My tae kwon do instructor's daughter was playing re****er in elementary school and when the kids passed a certain milestone, they were given ribbon to tie around the bottom of the plastic instrument. It was curiously similar to my instructor's belt ranking method. (White, yellow, green, purple, brown, and black, in our sytem.)

M

[Cynth]

On the other hand, this is the season for Naegleria brain infections. There have already been several cases in folks who've been swimming around in freshwater lakes. Probably best not to stick your head underwater--the little parasites get into your nose, then go straight up into your brain. Death ensues fairly reliably.

Gosh, I missed this post entirely. Is this just freshwater lakes in the south? I don't go in the lakes in Iowa, but how about Minnesota and Canada?

[mvhplank]

On the other hand, this is the season for Naegleria brain infections. There have already been several cases in folks who've been swimming around in freshwater lakes. Probably best not to stick your head underwater--the little parasites get into your nose, then go straight up into your brain. Death ensues fairly reliably.

Gosh, I missed this post entirely. Is this just freshwater lakes in the south? I don't go in the lakes in Iowa, but how about Minnesota and Canada?

The two recent deaths were of Oklahoma children, unrelated to each other and infected separately.

Aug. 6 story here:
http://www.newsinferno.com/storypages/8 ... 5~004.html

and here

http://health.dailynewscentral.com/cont ... 001448/36/

[Zax]

my suggeststion was to simply bring a wooden whistle. as long as it doesn't have a metal tuning slide, it should float...

i like the sound of the brain worms... of course, i'm guessing people are still out there swimming. after all, mad cow's been around a while, but people are still eating beef...
(not to stir a pot, just observing)

~Z

[Lambchop]

On the other hand, this is the season for Naegleria brain infections. There have already been several cases in folks who've been swimming around in freshwater lakes. Probably best not to stick your head underwater--the little parasites get into your nose, then go straight up into your brain. Death ensues fairly reliably.

Gosh, I missed this post entirely. Is this just freshwater lakes in the south? I don't go in the lakes in Iowa, but how about Minnesota and Canada?

Summer is full of health hazards! It's a wonder any of us survive to adulthood.

Check out the fine information offered by the CDC.

my suggeststion was to simply bring a wooden whistle. as long as it doesn't have a metal tuning slide, it should float...

Best check for floatability before you go . . . my understanding of well-seasoned wood is that it sinks like a stone. And being that it'll be in a pocket, would likely be sat upon and squished.

[curioso]

Take Heart! 10,000 years from now an archeologist will discover the whistle right next to the bones of an alligator (dead from brain worms), conclusively proving that those extinct reptiles played musical instruments. Later, a PhD dissertation will assert that the alligators green color is a direct result of Irish heritage!

[DCrom]

Take Heart! 10,000 years from now an archeologist will discover the whistle right next to the bones of an alligator (dead from brain worms), conclusively proving that those extinct reptiles played musical instruments. Later, a PhD dissertation will assert that the alligators green color is a direct result of Irish heritage!

No, it isn't the 'gators - it's the Croc O'Diles.

[TomB]

I've decided to branch off of a thread over at GC. One of my best and most favorite whistles it gone, lost to me only yesterday. I had gone fishing with my younger brother, when we...hooked an alligator (about 5 feet or so). I like taking my whistle almost everywhere I go, especially in the middle of a lake . In trying to unhook the alligator, the whistle fell out of my pocket, and into the depths of the abyss of a lake. I was so determined to go into the water to find it, but factoring in the depth, and the clarity of the water (murky) [and the fact that we had just hooked a 5 foot alligator] I realized that there was no chance in finding it. A bit of humor though... it was a "Water" Weasel, so the weasel has been returned to the water. It was in a sense a "free" whistle, so it isn't a financial loss, just a personal one. So now, I have lost three whistles in my time. For shame...

On the bright side, there is one fine whistling gator out there now!

Tom

[TomB]

[ Do that with all your loose bits...

Yep, I agree. You can never be too careful with your loose bits around an alligator.

Tom

[Cynth]

Several drugs are effective against Naegleria in the laboratory. However, although a variety of treatments have been used to treat infected persons, their effectiveness is unclear since most infections have still been fatal. Prompt diagnosis and treatment may help.

from the CDC link Lambchop gave, my bolding.

Why not just come out and say it? I mean if everyone dies, could we not say that the treatments have not been effective? I know, the treatments were not diagnosed early enough or something.

Well, the little swimming I do is in really cold water in big lakes on vacation so I think I'm just going to forget this little bit of ghastliness. Or try to anyway.

[ShadowBG625]

Poor Florida...been watching the news, and there's an algae bloom in the ST. John's River near Jacksonville (caused by fertilizer and runoff) and around the Tampa coastline, there'a breakout of that Red tide thing. They're calling it the "Death zone"