Hi, my name is Cliff “ dark cloud follow me around “ Armstrong. I have been nominated for the annual “ Hammer Award “. I received my nomination following the second tournament of the new fishing year of 06-07 ( December ). The circumstances surrounding my nomination are as follows: On December 9th, I launched my boat along with fellow boater at Miller’s Ferry ( Ellis landing ). This is where the similarity ends. Once in the water my motor wouldn’t crank. Plan “b” I tried to use the trolling motor. This too failed. In addition my steering was frozen. I sat there in my boat contemplating what my next move would be. Meanwhile the other boaters gathered for blast off. Once they had left the dock area I decided this was not my day so I backed my trailer into the water, got back in my boat and used my oar in an attempt to guide the boat back to the trailer. While doing so, the oar slipped from my hand and into the water. In my attempt to retrieve my oar, “ You guessed it “ I fell into the water, which was very cold to say the least since the outside temperature was a brisk 19 degrees.
I managed to get my boat on the trailer and head home. Once I got home I explained all that had gone wrong to my wife and to prove to her how bad things were I took her out to show her how nothing worked. Well by then everything had thawed out and everything worked fine. Then I made my mistake, I called fellow member’s of the club and told them all that had happened. No one, to my knowledge, had seen any of this.
So my nomination was for the things that happened to me and my own doing by revealing these events.
*** Added note: To strengthen my present position on my nomination for the coveted 'Hammer Award " while running interference for other club member, I was stopped for speeding by the local police at the March 2007 tournament. My efforts succeeded. While I was diverting the police's attention fellow members continued to the launch site unimpeded.
To further add to my " Hammer nomination resum'e. I Challenge the dock at Miller's Ferry and lost. While trying to manuver out of the way of another club member's boat I mamaged to collide with the dock with the right side of my boat. I did manage to avoid contact with said member's boat and he was able to put his boat on the trailer. I did learn my lesson about telling members about this however I was observed by several who where quick to point it out..
It seems that things happen to " Black cloud Cliffy "even when he is minding his own business and sitting still. Like the time at Cooter's pond where he is waiting in line to put his boat on the trailer and an over zealous boater was in a hurry and tried to squeese by Cliffy in line and managed to clip his right trailer tail light. Poor Cliffy comes from all directions. That black cloud incompasses him no matter how he tries to avoid it.
Once again the " black cloud "encompassed me on a tournament weekend. Things started happening on my way to the tournament site, Lay Lake. While traveling to Lay Lake I experienced a blow out on on boat trailer. This for most people would enough, but not ' black cloud Clifffy ". This was merely the beginning. While I did mange to catch a fish on Saturaday it proved to be a bit costly. That cost was a brand new Pflueger reel and rod that had just been newly purchased. Then if that weren't enough, I came head to head ( the head being the trolling motor head ) to a dock and the dock won, breaking the trolling motor head off. Then to top it all off I had a blowout on the way home. " Wow is me ", and to think my favorite tournament site is coming up. I wonder what will befall me at Guntersville. I guess that remains to be seen.