Feed the addiction.

I have now fished somewhere in the neighborhood of 45 days this summer. I am running out of time. My deployment to Antarctica is edging closer with each day. I have not counted how many fishing days I have left. I am going to try and fish as much as possible before my summer comes to a screeching extreme stop.
Last week I fished the Taylor river. Sat morning and the river was full of fisherman. I knew what to expect but decided to give it a go anyway. I caught a couple of fish before tragedy struck. One of my reels decided to stop working. I think that the drag mechanism seized up. The reel came with a Sage rod as a combo from Cabelas. I bought the combo about 3 years ago. Not very long ago and certainly not long enough to justify the end of the line for the reel. Needless to say,the day was taking a turn towards the toilet. On the tailgate of my truck with a leatherman I tried to open the reel up. Not the best idea. I then came home and called Cabelas about a warranty or a repair job. I was told that they dont repair their reels. ??? I was given the option of sending the reel in for a look and they will decide if it is worth anything. The kicker came when the voice on the phone said that the process will take 2 or 3 weeks!! Not an option. I then went out and bought a new reel. Wow what a difference spending a couple of hundred dollars on a reel will make!! I am now the owner of a reel that looks as good as it feels. Landed a couple of big fish on it so far. Caught a nice 20 inch bow yesterday. The drag worked like a well machined piece of equipment. Very happy with the new purchase. O.K. I need to get on the H2O. I will let you know how the fishing is at a later point.
Adios.