PFF warm-up?

[Woolly Bugger]

2016-37

Last week, as I was driving home from the river, just outside of Roan Mountain, I spotted several pairs of Appalachian Trial hikers walking along the road and hitching a ride back to the trail, which crosses the highway just shy of the NC / TN boarder. If I told you that I wasn't swayed by the beauty of a tall blond I would be lying, I pulled over and gave her and her companion a lift. She was from the Netherlands and this was her first visit to the states, he was from Manchester, England, and had perhaps won the AT hiking partner contest. Two mile later, I dropped them off, I'll remember her smile and the funk they left behing.... Windows down!

Life changes and new jobs may have altered my fishing days, and it looks like I'm going to have more weekends to explore. I prefer to go during the week when the crowds are less, I may have to avoid the TN tailwaters. I had spent the morning at the Farmers Market and was late leaving town, when I got to the river, I studied the water and other anglers for a while.


File under: Things I didn't step on...

The wind was whipping and I really didn't want to tie up a nymph rig, so I had a conversation with my friend, Dale. We watched a guy across the river tear 'em up nymphing in a spot I've never tried before. Made a note about that and waited some more. A few sips into the beer, I took a photo; time stamped 2:21.44, a few sips later a fish rose in front of me, and I stashed the can in my vest and pulled line off the reel. A few false cast to measure distance and I let it go. The fish rose to my fly. The next photo I took was at 2:26:28!





I finished the beer and waiting, hoping for another opportuning to arrive shortly.  I had another beer. I may have caught as many fish as consumed beers, but who counts those things anyway?

Rain came and ruined what was left of the hatch, so a headed out for dinner and plotted my return.

2016-38

When I woke up in the hotel, I thought about tying up some flies, but opted for a quick trip to the fly shop where I needed to go anyway to get a refill of the magic fluffer powder.

Really should clean out the back end ... will have too for the upcoming PFF v .33 next week.


Not much action in the desert..




Hmmmm.... Looks like Blake's been guiding on down this way...

File under: WTF

I was wading a run waiting for the bug to start up when I got low holed by a drift boat that had rowed up stream and sat in the flats where the fish will rise. I drank a few beers and tried to wait them out but that was a bad plan and I ended up moving away.





Followed this family out on a mother's day adventure.








View of the desert before the hatch


Things started happening around 6...








By 7:30 it was over, and I had enough for a while....

[Dee-Vo]

Very nice.  y;

[Dougfish]

I'll take that some o same o.  y;

[joe friday]

As always, your trip reports are very motivating, and your pics are awesome.  thank you  for sharing.

[RiverbumCO]

Yew bitch

[Yallerhammer]

Damn, you livin' the life, Woolly.  bd;0

[Woolly Bugger]

Damn, you livin' the life, Woolly.  bd;0

It has it's price...

[troutboy_II]

Great Report!  Thanks.

TB

[jkilday4]

  bd;0