PFF v 48.5 - Spring 2025

[Woolly Bugger]

#25 -- ??, ??, ?? Hot, cool, wet, dry, windy

I talked riverbum into going to his first PFF, we made plans to float the SoHo Thursday.

Gas $2.89 A shapely blond wearing blue jeans was filling up her BMW X5. I had to watch her click off enough to get to a full number, $28.00, I commented, "You don't like odd numbers." She laughed and replied as she walked into the store. I drove off.

I checked in with the bum to see if he was on time for an 11 o'clock rendezvous at eight-dollar beer shop. He was running about 20 minutes behind me as my gps indicated an arrival time of 10:59. I grabbed a beer while I waited, then we had lunch before working out the float details and arrainged a shuttle.
 


By the time we got on the water the day had turned hot in the bright sun. We were hoping for a decent sulfur hatch, but I threw streamers while waiting for them to appear. The bum caught a few and I had some hits on a soft hackle. But, despite seeing bugs on the water the fish weren't keyed in on them.




We floated down to Big Springs, and I took a rainbow on a zoo cougar. We go back to camp in time to set up in daylight. To our surprise the campground was almost full and I took a spot between Brian and the Party Camper.

They partied until 2 AM, I didn't get much sleep.

after a great egg, sausage, bacon, French toast breakfast, John, Fred and I took off to float the Soho from the weirs to Victoria's. Again, we were hoping for some sulfur action.



It was overcast and cool for most of the float, and the bugs didn't like that.



But eventually, the sun peaked through, the day warmed and there were plenty of bugs floating on the water, but not very many steady takers.





Short float, we were at the takeout by 5.



Back at camp for some wine and some commanding chili for dinner.




Around the campfire Bob led the group in a memorial to Jule...

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ErHwnmkVJ/


After another round of late-night disturbances from the party tent, and a terrific thunderstorm that blew through in the wee hours. The sun was shining in the morning, and the camp was flooded in spots, several tents succumbed to the deluge and a few had to retreat to their vehicles to seek dry shelter.

The cooks whipped up some awesome breakfast burritos. 





Then John, Fred and I planned another float along with Riverbum and Jfey, this time selecting to float down lower in the river.



I threw streamers all damn day, but despite covering some very good looking water, I didn't move a fish.





After the float, we headed into town to check out a new fly shop opened by a friend of Fred's. The shop, Tailwaters Fly Company, is oriented around fly tying and was stocked with just about every imaginable foam, fur, feathers, hooks, hackles, lines, leaders, tipped and tools, along with a few reels.

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I ran into @T5Video  at the shop, he did better that us, putting a 17 and a 22 in their boat.

Driving back over the mountain to camp, a motocyclist was weaving behind our boat, wating for a chance to pass. Soon enough he made his move and zoomed by us on a long curve. A few minutes later, a biker came down toward a group that had pulled off the road, and as he passed he motioned for us to slow down, a few curves later, we saw a bike laying down in the middle of the road. John pulled to a stop, we goto out and then saw the rider laying on the sholder. Fred picked up his phone and handed it to him as John called 911. The biker groaned out that he thought he lage was broken.

We stayed for a while and a slew of bikers zoomed up to comfort their comrade. Fred and I flagged approaching traffic until a biker took over, and we motored on over the hump to camp.



I had had enought of the antics of the party camper and couldn't face another short sleep night, so I packed up and headed home.

[Dougfish]

That's my everyday cheap vinno.
Tally ho, lads.