fly fishing small streams,    wally the wonderdog

Fall In Summer (or, Welcome To Burger... aiyeeee!)

By Tom Chandler 8/13/2011

By midday on Friday, no useful work was getting done, though it seemed that some useful goofing off could still be accomplished, so I loaded the Wonderdog into the truck and headed for my friendly, neighborhood small stream.

The fish were cooperative, but the wading boots were slick (turns out the Patagonia Rock Grip boots don't "grip" all that well on dry rock either; it's back to the glue-esque Riverwalkers), and the inevitable fall was approximately four feet -- mostly onto my left hip.

The camera is downstairs and I'm upstairs and there aren't enough aspirin to get me to make the trip this morning, so expect pictures later this weekend.

But I can still type, and fans of Wally the Wonderdog will no doubt find this edifying...

Welcome to Burger King can I hel.... aiiyeeeeee!


Stiffening up by the minute -- and with a wet, tired Wally the Wonderdog sprawled across the passenger seat like a disgruntled pasha -- I was too hungry to wait a couple hours for dinner, and in what has become a once-a-year event, the Wonderdog and I curved the straight line home through the local Burger King drive-through window.

The Wonderdog perked up immediately at the smell of all those frying hamburgers, but I didn't think to roll up the window when I unclipped and turned to the back seat to find my wallet.

Houston, we have a problem.

In an attempt to gain doggie heaven (the Burger King kitchen), the Wonderdog launched himself over the center console and into my lap -- actually getting his front paws outside the door and his head through the drive-through window.

I grabbed a couple handfuls of Wonderblubber and started pulling back, and before he could wriggle all the way into the kitchen, the friendly, smiling Burger King employee returned to find a drooling dog with a tongue the size of a necktie waiting for her.

Fortunately, she didn't scream. (She yelped a little and recoiled.)

After a few electric moments, I got most of him hauled back into the truck (enough to get his nose out of the drive-thru window at least), the no-longer-smiling employee handed over the food, and I drove away, the Wonderdog keeping his nose glued to the bag until he got his half of the Whopper.

When did I become a player in a dog-driven reality TV show (and where are my residuals)?

See you at the medicine cabinet, Tom Chandler.

AuthorPicture

Tom Chandler

As the author of the decade leading fly fishing blog Trout Underground, Tom believes that fishing is not about measuring the experience but instead of about having fun. As a staunch environmentalist, he brings to the Yobi Community thought leadership on environmental and access issues facing us today.

14 comments
[...] already detailed my Olympic-quality belly flop and the Wonderdog’s Assault on Burger King, and since this isn’t a big fishing report (it wasn’t a big fishing trip), I’ll [...]
0
0
Nothing is worse than a bad pair of wading boots. I hope your hip is OK. The BK side trip made me laugh as my dog and I always stop for a burger after fishing.
0
0
The old soles are flattish with a fairly light "tread." The Rock Grip soles offer a fairly pronounced tread pattern. You can probably still find the old soles in shops, but I do believe they Riverwalkers now come with the Rock Grip soles.
0
0
I did just fine on the epithet front, though it took a few seconds before I was sure I hadn't busted anything (me or the rod).
0
0
I believe the newer Riverwalker rubber soles are the Rock Grip style instead of the flatter-but-stickier soles on the older Riverwalkers. At this point, I'd be hard-pressed to recommend any Patagonia wading boot with the Rock Grip rubber sole. Personally, I still prefer rubber over felt for most situations.
0
0
Too bad we don't have a picture of Wally with his nose through the drive-thru window! No words of wisdom about what epithets to utter immediately after the fall? I've got a few, if you need some...
0
0
OK, but does your reply mean the "old sticky rubber soles" are no longer available and that the new sole on the Riverwalkers is "rock grip"? In other words, did they change the design? If so, how do you tell the difference between sticky and rock grip?
0
0
It would have been less funny if he'd made it through the window. In my tiny town that probably means an appearance in the local paper.
0
0
I'd like to avoid any old people injuries, at least until I'm collecting social security.
0
0
The older "sticky" rubber soles gripped dry rock like rubber cement and did ok on wet stuff --perfect combo for small streams. The new "rock grip" soles don't grip dry rocks nearly as well (ask me how I know). I'm not a huge fan of felt for small streams given how poorly it seems to perform on stuff like dry rocks, mud and wet grass.
0
0
Tom, you have to be careful.. Old people have to be careful of breaking a hip...cbc
0
0
About the boots - aren't River Walkers available in two versions, rubber and felt? Which one are you favoring?
0
0
Now that was funny! Dogs bring more laughter into our life then anything else. Life would not be as enjoyable without my lab & springer.
0
0
Ouch. Going from blue to black to yellow, I assume? At least you can stomach painkillers, my stomach can't. Wally, nice try! Maybe next time....
0
0

Discover Your Own Fishing and Hunting Adventures

With top destinations, guided trips, outfitters and guides, and river reports, you have everything you need.