S
Spydeyrch
0
So a few Saturdays ago, the 27th, I took my first float trip. I went with Dave (bigsteel) and we went with guide Brian Marz. What a blast!!! It was so much fun!!
It was my first float ever and it was a great experience!
Great river, great food, great company, and a great guide. Brian was very personable, knowledgeable of the river, the fish, the flies, etc. We had some great laughs and caught some nice fish!!
Unfortunately we were too busy catching fish to take any pics of them. I think the only pic we got was of the HUGE golden stone that we found. It was pretty cool!!
We stopped counting fish after around like 50 or so. There were times during the day when it was just one after another, and other times it seemed as if the river was void of any life at all.
We had some interesting moments too. Both Dave and Brian were very patient with me and explained the etiquette of fishing from a drift boat with 2 anglers and a guide.
I remember one particular moment where we were floating down and off to the left there was a group of people bank fishing with worms, spinners, etc. They weren't catching anything. Then we started casting our flys in and BAM BAM BAM!! Fish on, several of them. As we started saying "Fish" multiple times, one of the people on the bank let out this sigh of disgust: "Awww man!!!" I think he was a little frustrated about us catching fish in front of him (granted we were on the other side of the river from where he was) while he wasn't catching anything. I felt bad for him but it was nice to see that I have gotten my skills up to a level where I can catch fish. I remember, and it wasn't too long ago, that I was that guy on the bank as a drift boats floated by catching fish, and I would let out that sigh of "Awwww man!!!!"
So it is nice to see that I have kept at it and refined my skills to the level of a noob. I still have a long way to go until I hit novice!!! I think it will take the rest of my life to get to average.
Also, we had one crazy man!!! The dude and his wife (could have been his mother!!!) were off their rockers!! As we pulled up to a launch ramp to eat some lunch, we passed this guy. He was chucking worms. He yells at us:
"Hey, how ya doin'?", he yells.
We respond, "Doing pretty well. How about you?"
"Man, I am doing great!! I got three already!"
"Nice, good job."
So that wasn't the creepy thing. The thing that was "interesting" was that he kept coming over to our table, while we were eating, and saying that he was heading down tot he pool hall to play pool, that he always gets free beer there, and that he always carries an extra pool cue in his truck cause he never knows when he is going to need it. I didn't care .... .I was eating lunch!! And a fantastic one at that!! The guy just comes over out of the blue and starts talking about his pool cue and beer, and how he's a good angler, etc. We didn't ask. We didn't want to know. I just wanted to engross myself in my amazing sandwich and think of fish. That was it, nothing more.
Then he goes over and picks up this dainty cutesy little straw/reed picnic basket. Then says, "Don't you guys get the wrong idea!! Don't even think it!! This isn't mine, it is the Mrs.'. She insisted in bringing it. So don't go thinking I am some kind of pansy or something."
DUDE!!! Who gives a rip about your picnic basket!! We weren't watching, we weren't looking, and we certainly didn't care about some picnic basket. LET ME EAT MY SANDWICH!!!!
hahahahahaha :lol:
So that was kind of .... unusual and strange, and just wierd. But then his "baby", as he called her, came over. The woman was old enough to be his mother or maybe grand-mother!!! :shock:
She grabbed Dave's fly box that I was looking at and started riffling through the flies and wouldn't stop exclaiming, "These are cute. These are cute. These are cute!!!"
She even dropped one and lost it. Then asked to have one. Dave was kind and gave it to her; I think more to get her out of his stuff than anything!! hahahaaha :lol:
It was an "interesting" experience. Very strange couple!!
The rest of the day was great fishing fishing. Had some sweet takes!!
I do warn you though, if you ever use any of the textured lines, don't do strip strikes, or at least wear some gloves or strip guards on your fingers. I burnt myself multiple times because of the textured lines!! It was funny but man it stung!! hahahaha
What a great experience for my first time float. I am definitely going to do it again! Thanks Dave for an awesome trip and great company. We need to fish again sometime soon.
Take care y'all.
-Spydey
P.S. Dave had the biggest fish: Mountain White fish. Very cool fish!! And he caught this HUGE cuttie. Very sweet!
P.P.S. Oh, and CONGRATS BRIAN!!! Hope you are having a blast down in Florida chasing those tarpon with the Mrs. Congrats to both of you. :clap:
It was my first float ever and it was a great experience!
Great river, great food, great company, and a great guide. Brian was very personable, knowledgeable of the river, the fish, the flies, etc. We had some great laughs and caught some nice fish!!
Unfortunately we were too busy catching fish to take any pics of them. I think the only pic we got was of the HUGE golden stone that we found. It was pretty cool!!
We stopped counting fish after around like 50 or so. There were times during the day when it was just one after another, and other times it seemed as if the river was void of any life at all.
We had some interesting moments too. Both Dave and Brian were very patient with me and explained the etiquette of fishing from a drift boat with 2 anglers and a guide.
I remember one particular moment where we were floating down and off to the left there was a group of people bank fishing with worms, spinners, etc. They weren't catching anything. Then we started casting our flys in and BAM BAM BAM!! Fish on, several of them. As we started saying "Fish" multiple times, one of the people on the bank let out this sigh of disgust: "Awww man!!!" I think he was a little frustrated about us catching fish in front of him (granted we were on the other side of the river from where he was) while he wasn't catching anything. I felt bad for him but it was nice to see that I have gotten my skills up to a level where I can catch fish. I remember, and it wasn't too long ago, that I was that guy on the bank as a drift boats floated by catching fish, and I would let out that sigh of "Awwww man!!!!"
So it is nice to see that I have kept at it and refined my skills to the level of a noob. I still have a long way to go until I hit novice!!! I think it will take the rest of my life to get to average.Also, we had one crazy man!!! The dude and his wife (could have been his mother!!!) were off their rockers!! As we pulled up to a launch ramp to eat some lunch, we passed this guy. He was chucking worms. He yells at us:
"Hey, how ya doin'?", he yells.
We respond, "Doing pretty well. How about you?"
"Man, I am doing great!! I got three already!"
"Nice, good job."
So that wasn't the creepy thing. The thing that was "interesting" was that he kept coming over to our table, while we were eating, and saying that he was heading down tot he pool hall to play pool, that he always gets free beer there, and that he always carries an extra pool cue in his truck cause he never knows when he is going to need it. I didn't care .... .I was eating lunch!! And a fantastic one at that!! The guy just comes over out of the blue and starts talking about his pool cue and beer, and how he's a good angler, etc. We didn't ask. We didn't want to know. I just wanted to engross myself in my amazing sandwich and think of fish. That was it, nothing more.
Then he goes over and picks up this dainty cutesy little straw/reed picnic basket. Then says, "Don't you guys get the wrong idea!! Don't even think it!! This isn't mine, it is the Mrs.'. She insisted in bringing it. So don't go thinking I am some kind of pansy or something."
DUDE!!! Who gives a rip about your picnic basket!! We weren't watching, we weren't looking, and we certainly didn't care about some picnic basket. LET ME EAT MY SANDWICH!!!!
hahahahahaha :lol:
So that was kind of .... unusual and strange, and just wierd. But then his "baby", as he called her, came over. The woman was old enough to be his mother or maybe grand-mother!!! :shock:
She grabbed Dave's fly box that I was looking at and started riffling through the flies and wouldn't stop exclaiming, "These are cute. These are cute. These are cute!!!"
She even dropped one and lost it. Then asked to have one. Dave was kind and gave it to her; I think more to get her out of his stuff than anything!! hahahaaha :lol:
It was an "interesting" experience. Very strange couple!!
The rest of the day was great fishing fishing. Had some sweet takes!!
I do warn you though, if you ever use any of the textured lines, don't do strip strikes, or at least wear some gloves or strip guards on your fingers. I burnt myself multiple times because of the textured lines!! It was funny but man it stung!! hahahaha
What a great experience for my first time float. I am definitely going to do it again! Thanks Dave for an awesome trip and great company. We need to fish again sometime soon.
Take care y'all.
-Spydey
P.S. Dave had the biggest fish: Mountain White fish. Very cool fish!! And he caught this HUGE cuttie. Very sweet!
P.P.S. Oh, and CONGRATS BRIAN!!! Hope you are having a blast down in Florida chasing those tarpon with the Mrs. Congrats to both of you. :clap:
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