Husbands Know Best

While vacationing in Idaho this summer, the electrical gremlins that have routinely terrorized our 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee since we bought the damn thing made another appearance at a most inopportune time. I was supposed to meet my buddy, Mike, at 8AM to go fishing, but at 7AM, I realized the power steering wasn’t going to be an option this morning. That was a real problem, and we set out to solve it. After a couple of hours Mike and I remedied the situation with a tow truck and a plan to haul the Jeep to Mountain Home, which just so happened to be adjacent to the tailwater we had planned to float. We could fish until early afternoon, then pick up the vehicle on the back end. Problem solved, all good in the hood, right? Well, when our wives finally awoke and began conversing via phone, they quickly came to a completely different conclusion, that somehow, this whole car trouble was some sort of cleverly concocted ruse, that really, we just wanted to go fishing. Perhaps I had disengaged the power steering myself? While that is a good idea and I will add it to the quiver of future fishing excuses, I’m generally not that creative. Regardless of the legitimate resolution to the car trouble, the dealership in Mountain Home was the closest one with the diagnostics to solve the issue, and made geographic sense for several reasons, our wives simply weren’t buying it and we left town with both of them ready to file articles of separation. Sometimes, a husband must just accept the fact that wives are often wrong, go fishing anyway, and allow them time to come to their senses.

As I left the house, my son, firmly on my side, provided words of encouragement, and offered advice on what flies to use.

Once in the canyon and out of cell range we could relax and enjoy ourselves. I caught a nemesis fish that had duped me the week prior.

I was hoping Mike might snap a photo for me but he had his hands full.

…and the day went on like that, we had the river mostly to ourselves and the fish were chowing hoppers, caddis, and mayflies.

By the time we returned home, all was quiet on the home front and we joined the wives for a pleasant happy hour. The vehicle situation had been resolved, and we had an epic day on the water together. Sometimes, husbands just need to admit when their wives are wrong, and go with their gut!