NC Clave reports??

[Bob Patton]

Anybody besides Op recovered enough from the clave to write a report? It's
been way the hell too quiet - what happened to you'uns?

Wish I could have been there, but family obligations kept me pretty much
confined to the Franklin vicinity. I did spend Tuesday and Wednesday on
Hazel, and it was a very good time. The rains have virtually washed away
bridge 2, which now tilts at about 45 degrees (the park service has fastened
a 2x4 to the bridge deck so that people can make their way across by holding
onto the rail and bracing their feet on the 2x4. Lots of fun with a
backpack!)

Hiked up to the Sawdust Pile (spent the night there) about four miles from
the lake. Didn't run into another person until just across from the "Spanish
House" and saw three people between there and the old house at Proctor. I
bet none of them were catching anything, but one old fellow using a yellow
fly rod had the prettiest, most graceful casts I've seen in a long time.

I caught five nice rainbows. It was a good chance to try fishing at dawn and
dusk. Dusk was better. Took one nice rainbow just as the light was failing,
but a magnificent, beautiful fish.

Also fished a couple of streams in Macon and Clay counties. More later . . .

Bob

[Jeff Miller]

i've been busy with work stuff...had to leave early on thursday and been
at the grind ever since. doubt i'll post anything much until i get
freed up a bit, which may not happen at all.

....except, i had the best trout "catching" i've ever experienced in the
blue ridge. ...well, except for that damned float trip down the catawba
- i just can't seem to catch trout from a drift boat - but, it was a
spirited, death-defying jaunt with narrow fast water with both wheels of
the dam open and wild wally playin with the oars on his first captaining
adventure <g>. i even practiced a bit of my rowing skills in
anticipation of another raft adventure with bruiser and warren in montana.

it was good to see old friends...i missed spending time with big dale as
he came in late and i left early. wayno had a family emergency and left
before i did. wally and tom brown and i had a great time together during
our "unique" and unproductive float down the catawba - well, wally did
snag a 16-18 inch brown dredging the bottom. the optimistic park
(clearwater) campground was the best i have ever seen, and the owner
provided the best service one could want. if anyone is fishing the
grandfather mountain watersheds, it's as fine a place to headquarter,
with amenities, as you'll find. tell greg we sent you - he's an ex
sal****er charterboat captain - very gregarious, and a good cook.

i hope joel and some others will post reports.

jeff

Bob Patton wrote:

> Anybody besides Op recovered enough from the clave to write a report? It's
> been way the hell too quiet - what happened to you'uns?
>
> Wish I could have been there, but family obligations kept me pretty much
> confined to the Franklin vicinity. I did spend Tuesday and Wednesday on
> Hazel, and it was a very good time. The rains have virtually washed away
> bridge 2, which now tilts at about 45 degrees (the park service has fastened
> a 2x4 to the bridge deck so that people can make their way across by holding
> onto the rail and bracing their feet on the 2x4. Lots of fun with a
> backpack!)
>
> Hiked up to the Sawdust Pile (spent the night there) about four miles from
> the lake. Didn't run into another person until just across from the "Spanish
> House" and saw three people between there and the old house at Proctor. I
> bet none of them were catching anything, but one old fellow using a yellow
> fly rod had the prettiest, most graceful casts I've seen in a long time.
>
> I caught five nice rainbows. It was a good chance to try fishing at dawn and
> dusk. Dusk was better. Took one nice rainbow just as the light was failing,
> but a magnificent, beautiful fish.
>
> Also fished a couple of streams in Macon and Clay counties. More later . . .
>
> Bob
>
>
>

[asadi]

Thanks for that bit of info Jeff. I wish I could have made it down, I'll be
stuck in this area for a couple of more weeks yet.

Although I know a few places to fish right around Boone, picking up a few
more locations would have been nice, in particular the campground you spoke
highly of.

Nothing against grandfather mountain campground, but that campground just
isn't exactly what I'm looking for. The do have full hook-ups and cable but
the sites are very small, not that level and those crushed limestone roads
make for a horrendous amount of dust. It's the kind of place that is more
suited to the leaf peepers in the fall.

So you liked the campground? I'll have to keep that one in mind.Thanks
again.....john

[ezflyfisher]

Jeff Miller wrote:
> i've been busy with work stuff...had to leave early on thursday and been
> at the grind ever since. doubt i'll post anything much until i get
> freed up a bit, which may not happen at all.

same here.....

>
> ...except, i had the best trout "catching" i've ever experienced in the
> blue ridge. ...well, except for that damned float trip down the catawba
> - i just can't seem to catch trout from a drift boat - but, it was a
> spirited, death-defying jaunt with narrow fast water with both wheels of
> the dam open and wild wally playin with the oars on his first captaining
> adventure <g>. i even practiced a bit of my rowing skills in
> anticipation of another raft adventure with bruiser and warren in montana.

that ride was fun and i learned something valuable about the river. use
the lower put-in when generation is on ;-)

btw, i thought you did an admirable job at the oars.

> it was good to see old friends...i missed spending time with big dale as
> he came in late and i left early. wayno had a family emergency and left
> before i did. wally and tom brown and i had a great time together during
> our "unique" and unproductive float down the catawba - well, wally did
> snag a 16-18 inch brown dredging the bottom. the optimistic park
> (clearwater) campground was the best i have ever seen, and the owner
> provided the best service one could want. if anyone is fishing the
> grandfather mountain watersheds, it's as fine a place to headquarter,
> with amenities, as you'll find. tell greg we sent you - he's an ex
> sal****er charterboat captain - very gregarious, and a good cook.
>
> i hope joel and some others will post reports.


due to unforeseen circumstances, my fishing time was cut short at the
end of the week. what little time i was able to fish, i thoroughly enjoyed.

fri eve: joel, jeff, and i headed up to curtis creek for some delayed
harvest fishing. in the right "holes", the fishing was furious <g>

sat 'til 2ish, I greeted Tom and Wayno at the shop and later made my way
to central. Jeff and Joel returned from a high mountain stream
experience and I talked Jeff into a small excursion to some real tight
waters. Upon our arrival streamside, Jeff let it be known to me that he
was inebriated..... ****-faced drunk. Well, I did most of the fishin and
Jeff brought up the rear. A fine trip.

As I was climbing out of the stream up to the road for our 1/2 mile hike
back to the truck, I discovered an abandoned puppy. After awhile he
overcame his fears and allowed me to pick him up and we brought him back
with us to central. (note: Greg got the puppy his shots yesterday and
plans on keeping him as a camp dog)

Earlier Saturday am, that bastid Opie called me at the shop with his
cell phone informing me that he was taking Lennie to my gawdang secret
stream..... i cussed him good on the phone issuing all kinds of idle
threats. That evening, all was forgiven with my first bite of that
wonderful deep fried turkey that Lennie prepared.... way to go buddy,
that was real good eatin'. Give me a holler for a day astream.....
without that no good rotten bastid Opie ;-)

Sunday was pretty much fukked up as Tom, Joel, and I went up to my house
to retrieve the boat, do some paperwork, and non-fish the
angler-to-angler delayed harvest stretch of the Valle Crucis watauga
River. We headed back down the mountain to central, dropped off the boat
and drove over to Wilson Creek for some wide stream fishing.... the spot
is gorgeous, too bad we didn't have any luck with the fish.

Monday am was a work day for me at the shop and I didn't get to fish
that afternoon but hung around camp and had a good time shootin' the
**** with clavesters.

Tuesday was the float trip down the Catawba with Jeff and Tom. I
informed them, after they were safely in the boat and we had pushed off
into the raging torrent, that this was my "maiden" captaincy. The looks
of disbelief and sheer terror upon the whiten pates of my good friends
was priceless.... a solid, wonderful memory to treasure forever.

The float was uneventful fishing wise... a very slow day. However, the
all day camaderaderee in the party barge was well worth the trip.

Tuesday evening, Greg and April, our hosts at the campground, prepared a
fantastic meal that we all enjoyed. jeff is absolutely correct.....
the campground proved to be a fantastic location and venue

The rest of the week for me at least, sucked. Labor problems at the shop
pretty much screwed up all my plans. What really sucked is that I wasn't
able to fish with Wayno, Charlie, Indian Joe, Dave C., Zimbo, Bill, Big
Dale, Opie, and deepfry ;-)

Wayno, thanks for sharing the cabin... I hope all is well with you and
yourn back home.

Lennie, I'm serious, give me a holler.... we owe each other a day
astream this fall.

Charlie, IJ, and Dave..... sorry I couldn't show friday.... i was screwed.

Zimbo, I sure hope you have Wayno's rod..... I have the tube.

Tom and Jeff.... 'nuff said.... can't wait 'till the next adventure.

Opie..... thankee my friend.

for those who couldn't make it and had to cancel.... we missed ya.

--wally

[Tim J.]

"ezflyfisher" wrote...
<snip>
> Tuesday was the float trip down the Catawba with Jeff and Tom. I
> informed them, after they were safely in the boat and we had pushed off
> into the raging torrent, that this was my "maiden" captaincy. The looks
> of disbelief and sheer terror upon the whiten pates of my good friends
> was priceless.... a solid, wonderful memory to treasure forever.

It's funny how the little things can be so pleasing, eh? :) Nice TR, Walt. I
hope your labor problems (the part that REALLY sucks owning your own biz) are a
thing of the past now and you can get out fishing again soon.

BTW, it's a real possibility I could find myself in the wilds of NC in the not
too distant future. My daughter may be relocating to Orlando, and a trip back
home via I-77 might be in order. If it is, a side trip to Morganton to buy some
bobbers and power bait could be arranged - we'll see how this pans out.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

[Guyz-N-Flyz]

"ezflyfisher" > wrote in message
k.net...
> Opie..... thankee my friend.

We need to do the falls together!

Op

> --wally
>

[Guyz-N-Flyz]

"asadi" > wrote in message
...
> So you liked the campground? I'll have to keep that one in mind.Thanks
> again.....john

John, you need to get down here this Spring for sure, and definitely camp at
Optimistic (e-mail addy). Greg and April treated me as
if I were a payin' guest and all I did was eat there food and it was damn
good! I don't know how long he will be open the rest of this year, but if
you e-mail him, just mention the ROFF nutcases that showed-up at his door
last week.

Op

[walt winter]

Guyz-N-Flyz wrote:

> We need to do the falls together!
>
> Op

tomorrow is out of the question :-)

wally

[walt winter]

Guyz-N-Flyz wrote:
> "asadi" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>So you liked the campground? I'll have to keep that one in mind.Thanks
>>again.....john
>
>
> John, you need to get down here this Spring for sure, and definitely camp at
> Optimistic (e-mail addy). Greg and April treated me as
> if I were a payin' guest and all I did was eat there food and it was damn
> good! I don't know how long he will be open the rest of this year, but if
> you e-mail him, just mention the ROFF nutcases that showed-up at his door
> last week.
>
> Op
>
>

ditto (what opie said)

john, you would have dug it. greg, the gregarious.... is a former
charter captain and travels central and south america
religiously..... it would have been wonderful to listen to ya'll
swap tales at the wednesday afternoon porch sit-down.

he's planning on shutting down sometime late november and
reopening in march. he'll be travelling SoAm and CeAm jan and feb.

--wally

[Guyz-N-Flyz]

"walt winter" > wrote in message
...
> Guyz-N-Flyz wrote:
>
> > We need to do the falls together!
> >
> > Op
>
> tomorrow is out of the question :-)
>
> wally

I talked to a fella I work with--his family owns a motel in Pinola--and he
said there is a trail the entire length up, only it's not really a trail, as
it just goes aways and returns to the stream, leaves the stream and
returns..... He works volunteer rescue and had to go in on Tues. eve 5:00
PM, after a 72 y.o. man that got lost on Sat. fishin' with some friends.
His friends left him there over night, came back lookin' for him on
Sunday--Monday, and didn't report him missin' 'til Tues. Sam and his
partner found the man around midnight about 2 miles below the falls. He was
disoriented, wet, cold and dehydrated, but otherwise alright. Some friends
he ha(d/s)?

Op

[walt winter]

Guyz-N-Flyz wrote:
> "walt winter" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Guyz-N-Flyz wrote:
>>
>>
>>>We need to do the falls together!
>>>
>>>Op
>>
>>tomorrow is out of the question :-)
>>
>>wally
>
>
> I talked to a fella I work with--his family owns a motel in Pinola--and he
> said there is a trail the entire length up, only it's not really a trail, as
> it just goes aways and returns to the stream, leaves the stream and
> returns..... He works volunteer rescue and had to go in on Tues. eve 5:00
> PM, after a 72 y.o. man that got lost on Sat. fishin' with some friends.
> His friends left him there over night, came back lookin' for him on
> Sunday--Monday, and didn't report him missin' 'til Tues. Sam and his
> partner found the man around midnight about 2 miles below the falls. He was
> disoriented, wet, cold and dehydrated, but otherwise alright. Some friends
> he ha(d/s)?
>
> Op
>
>

that really sucks.

the trail is there but at times it's partway or on a ridge way
above the stream. there's an old access to it across from the old
bark house but i've never walked down it.... hunter's use it alot.

wally

[Lennie Richardson]

"ezflyfisher" > wrote...
>
>

> Earlier Saturday am, that bastid Opie called me at the shop with his
> cell phone informing me that he was taking Lennie to my gawdang secret
> stream..... i cussed him good on the phone issuing all kinds of idle
> threats.

Senyorr, Ai theen you ees cover up weeth thee bool sheet. If you Google
"North Carolina trout streams" that particular body of water shows very near
the top of the list. Anyway, the fishing was OK. The thing that impressed me
most was how much bigger college girls' titz are today than 30 years ago.

> That evening, all was forgiven with my first bite of that
> wonderful deep fried turkey that Lennie prepared.... way to go buddy,
> that was real good eatin'.

Glad you enjoyed it. Everybody else appeared to, as well. Don't forget Tom
B.'s tater salad and Mrs. Burt's cheesecakes. It all added up to a great
meal.

> Give me a holler for a day astream.....

Not if it requires me to drive a la Amazing Randi, with a black bull's
nutsack tied over over my head.

> without that no good rotten bastid Opie ;-)

Opie's my good luck charm. He shows me all the streams that other dickhead
tries to keep hidden from me.

[Tim J.]

"Lennie Richardson" wrote...
<snip>
> The thing that impressed me
> most was how much bigger college girls' titz
> are today than 30 years ago.

Mmmmmm, cheesecake.

> Don't forget Tom
> B.'s tater salad and Mrs. Burt's cheesecakes.

Mmmmmm, cheesecake.
--
TL,
Tim
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

[Bill McDonald]

Well guys it's about time ya got around to filling us in on the NC
clave. It was my intentions to attend but as I announced before, on
the 25th they cut out part of my throat for cancer and I had hopes of
making it down there towards the end of the clave. Unfortunately, had
to go back in on the 9th for some more excavations. BUT, there has
been some good come out of this. One is my resolve to concentrate
more on what is really important to me. Spending quality time and
that's to be found on the stream rather than behind my desk.
Secondly, is hearing the outpouring of support from folks I presumed
were nothing more than aquantences but now I find to be real friends.
Sure wish I could have atttended my first ConClave and a chance to
meet what sounds to be some really decent and interesting folks. Bill
in Richmond, Va.

[Tim J.]

"Bill McDonald" wrote...
<snip>
> Secondly, is hearing the outpouring of support from folks I presumed
> were nothing more than aquantences but now I find to be real friends.

Ahhhh - the essence of roff. :)

Good wishes on ya, Bill.
--
TL,
Tim
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

[Bill McDonald]

Tim J. In reviewing my message I can see how ya might have interpreted
my thoughts to mean ya all here on ROFF! Damnation.. I was referring
to all my neighbors, co-worker, golf partners etc. Youse guys are the
most ornery, cantankerous, callous, arguementive, biased,
confrontational, ignorant, ummmmm... running outa appropiate
descriptive words ta describe ya'll!~ But I do have to admit, the
words and wishes I've read here are well received and appreciated.
Thanks. Bill

[Tim J.]

"Bill McDonald" wrote...
> Tim J. In reviewing my message I can see how ya might have interpreted
> my thoughts to mean ya all here on ROFF! Damnation.. I was referring
> to all my neighbors, co-worker, golf partners etc. Youse guys are the
> most ornery, cantankerous, callous, arguementive, biased,
> confrontational, ignorant, . . .

Ahhhh - the essence of roff. :)

Good wishes on ya, Bill.
--
TL,
Tim
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

[walt winter]

Lennie Richardson wrote:

> The thing that impressed me
> most was how much bigger college girls' titz are today than 30 years ago.
>

*THAT* is why I keep that particular stretch close to the
vest.... the bikini hatch!


> Glad you enjoyed it. Everybody else appeared to, as well. Don't forget Tom
> B.'s tater salad and Mrs. Burt's cheesecakes. It all added up to a great
> meal.
>
>

how could i be so forgetful..... the tater salad and the
cheesecake were also first class. kudos.



> Not if it requires me to drive a la Amazing Randi, with a black bull's
> nutsack tied over over my head.

nahhh, we'll just put ya in the trunk ;-)

>
> Opie's my good luck charm. He shows me all the streams that other dickhead
> tries to keep hidden from me.
>

okay.... opie can come along ;-) (he woulda anyway)

seriously guyz.... i didn't get to fish much at all. let's plan a
day in the next week or two if we can.

wally

[walt winter]

Tim J. wrote:
> "ezflyfisher" wrote...
> <snip>
>
>>Tuesday was the float trip down the Catawba with Jeff and Tom. I
>>informed them, after they were safely in the boat and we had pushed off
>>into the raging torrent, that this was my "maiden" captaincy. The looks
>>of disbelief and sheer terror upon the whiten pates of my good friends
>>was priceless.... a solid, wonderful memory to treasure forever.
>
>
> It's funny how the little things can be so pleasing, eh? :) Nice TR, Walt. I
> hope your labor problems (the part that REALLY sucks owning your own biz) are a
> thing of the past now and you can get out fishing again soon.
>
> BTW, it's a real possibility I could find myself in the wilds of NC in the not
> too distant future. My daughter may be relocating to Orlando, and a trip back
> home via I-77 might be in order. If it is, a side trip to Morganton to buy some
> bobbers and power bait could be arranged - we'll see how this pans out.

cool..... as plans are made... let me know and i'll do my best to
shake free of the biz shackles.

--wally

[Joe McIntosh]

"Guyz-N-Flyz" > wrote in message
...
>
>>
> I talked to a fella I work with--his family owns a motel in Pinola--and he
> said there is a trail the entire length up, only it's not really a trail,
as
> it just goes aways and returns to the stream, leaves the stream and
> returns..... He works volunteer rescue and had to go in on Tues. eve 5:00
> PM, after a 72 y.o. man that got lost on Sat. fishin' with some friends.
> His friends left him there over night, came back lookin' for him on
> Sunday--Monday, and didn't report him missin' 'til Tues. Sam and his
> partner found the man around midnight about 2 miles below the falls. He
was
> disoriented, wet, cold and dehydrated, but otherwise alright. Some
friends
> he ha(d/s)?
>
> Op
>
>IJ asks---opie do you think he is giving up flyfishing after this
adventure? Think he has any flies he will be giving away ? what is his
phone number?
Damm- a 72 year old man lost for three days---this 72 year old sometimes
gets disoriented, wet, cold and dehydrated after only half a bad day on the
stream.

[slenon]

Hang in there, Bill. Watch the Three Stooges or anything else that makes
you laugh, go fishing whenever you're able, and search for a doctor who will
listen to you if you haven't been fortunate enough to find one already.
Speedy recovery.

----
Stev Lenon 91B20 '68-'69
Drowning flies to Darkstar
Save a cow, eat a PETA

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/stevglo/index.html/slhomepage92kword.htm