2013 Fall Fling Reflections

[Tentwing]

Well fellas its ALWAYS good to see all of you , but this one was special for me. I don't think I can put into words how badly I needed this.

The fresh air , the fall of dry leaves, the gentle riffle and bubble of the pool your standing in and then comes the tightening of the line and the signs of life at the other end which suddenly transforms the angler into a participant in the wonders of nature instead of just a spectator

But more important than all of that was the help I received from all of you. My ETFF brothers did not look at me like I was a victim of recent events . instead everyone treated me just like everything was normal ( maybe 70 pound less of normal ) but still normal. The importance of being reminded of what normal is like cannot be understated and is greatly appreciated. THANK YOU gentlemen.

The wind came, the cold lingered, the water was relentless, the fish were hard earned as the rain came. Life is not about hiding from the storm , but learning to cast in the wind and rain. We did all of that and most importantly laughed at the days end.

Derrick you weathered a tough Fling make sure to be at the next one, and see what an easy one is like.
Jay and Sean; Thanks for the ride and the vote of confidence.
Varmit that should keep you busy a while there are lots of keepers in there, lots of projects, and a few pieces of bamboo history. ( and there is more to come )
Jermz warm hands are a good thing
E. L whens you birthday I'm gonna buy ya a phone charger
Here's to splittin pine logs and blinding deer ( Easter )
Brad needing no medical intervention (whats the Fling coming to ? )

God bless the Green Shine crew . Tentwing

[Varmit]

Yeah, so the fishing was not stellar, but I think we all caught fish. However, the trip itself...as always...was outstanding. I will post a full report soon.

[Petey]

Learned a few things over the weekend.....

- Webb's bridge is not a TWRA boat ramp at a bend in the road... it is another mile downstream.

- Jack Prater doesn't run a shuttle but the guy will run a shuttle across the street to Praters through Prater so your stuff still ends up at Praters.... or the bend in the road a mile or so downstream from Praters.

- The stuff that tastes like green jolly rancher is not melted jolly ranchers at all, and highly dangerous.

- Do not go to sleep with hand warmers piled up on your chest, it will cause you to upchuck cuttybrownbows.

- That which doesn't kill you, can only make you stronger.

- A 15 degree temperature drop in 10 minutes and a 10 mile an hour wind followed by a leaf hatch will absolutely kill the fishing.

- A hopper, to a hopper dropper with a dropper hopper.... well that is 3 hoppers and that is what one should fish during a hopper hatch.




Marmot got this fish after making me stimulate a BWO hatch. He made me throw all my BWO's in the river at one time and then threw his BWO right in behind them after it created a feeding frenzy. TW got the picture of the accomplished angler.

[derrick]

Oct 29, 2012 11:21:17 GMT -5 Varmit said:

Yeah, so the fishing was not stellar, but I think we all caught fish. However, the trip itself...as always...was outstanding. I will post a full report soon.

I didn't catch a dang thing! But there is next time...the fish gods shall smile upon me again!

[deaddrift]

Derrick your just not snapping it enough. Remember when in doubt, snap it and slap it.

[deaddrift]

also....could someone change my avatar to April Vokley

[Varmit]

Two times each year, all my fishing buddies and I gather on an area river to hang out, catch up, and fish. These events have become a time honored tradition of fellowship that is now as common a part of the calendar as Thanksgiving and as Fall nears, it is not unusual for my wife to ask when we are having our "fling". It is just understood that this event will happen...the only unknown is where we will be.

The past few Fall Flings have been on the South Holston. An epic tailwater in upper East Tennessee that has some things that you can count on; a prolific sulphur hatch, and a bunch of beautiful browns. The leaves are most often at peak and the sky seems to be bluer than at any other time of the year. Cool, but not cold, and everyone catches an abundance of fish.

This year certain indicators implied that the fling for 2012 would be just a tad different. To start with, the cabins in which we had set up residence in previous years were booked. With a date nailed down and no place to stay, a massive search for another rental space began in earnest, with no good results. So, we found a campground, off the beaten path but close enough to drive to the river each morning. It was also much more affordable that the homes we have used in the past so it was an easy sell to the guys in the group.

The week of our trip, the weather had been great. Blue skies and brilliantly colored leaves...just like always, things were shaping up nicely. Then came the weekend, a dramatic drop in temperatures, and hurricane Sandy bearing down on the east coast. Undaunted, we gathered that Friday evening around a campfire and reconnected. Like caged birds that had finally been set free, we sat and laughed loud and hard. Temporary relief from the day to day grind provided everyone with a good feeling.

Then we checked the generation schedule. In our minds we were convinced that it would be as it always was. A brief burp of water from the dam mid morning, then free and clear till dark. The recorded message on the TVA phone center had a different idea however. The water would be pumping all day which meant that at best we could only pick up a few hours fishing in the morning on the lower portions of the river till the water rose and chased us back to the camp. A few hours are better than none so we conceded to the situation and readied ourselves for an early jaunt far downstream.

Saturday morning was nice. Cool, partly overcast, and the fishing was pretty good. Pretty good until about eleven when a cold steady breeze began racing across the water and the clouds turned grey and began to thicken. The fish, perhaps cognisant of the impending foul weather to the north of us grew tight lipped. The remainder of the morning was nothing more than casting practice until the water deepened and we called it a day.

Back round the campfire that evening, we settled right back into the fellowship. The chance for us to be upset and depressed at our misfortune was present, but we just laughed it off and hoped for a better day on Sunday.

Any chance at redemption on Sunday was removed before we even had the chance to squirm out of our sleeping bags. Cold rain was beginning to fall and the sky was a deep wash of gray. We each headed out to the river, which was pushing water again, and hoped that perhaps this change in climate would activate the Blue Winged Olives or maybe, just maybe, it would be one of those nasty days when the bigger fish became brave and hit anything that moved.

I fished maybe three hours. Nada. Nada that is until I found one deep pool that held one fair brown trout and three rainbows that would have fit nicely on a cracker. One okay fish and three babies as the rain picked up and the chilly wind buffeted me.

And so the annual trip came to an end. I loaded up and headed south while to the north, folks were in a fight of their lives as the fury of nature run amok pounded the Jersey Shore. I had time with friends, laughed out loud, and stood in a river for a while. It might not have been as we hoped, and surely was nowhere near as good as it had been in years past, but in light of the troubles others faced I still drove away feeling blessed to have once again gathered with my friends.

So here is to tradition, to fellowship, to camaraderie, to health and happiness. We could have been other places carrying sandbags and hoping that our families made it through the night alive.

Besides...there is always next year.

[mitroutbum77]

Brothers I soooo wish I could have been there slinging either sz 20-26 midges or 4/0 double jointed streamers...

Funeral ceremony was great. As the piano ended and the preacher said his last words...a train rolled through the small rural Indiana farm town of Williamsport and blowed its whistle... Papaw Byers was a train freak and it was all a number of us couldn't help from laughing and crying. A perfect moment God made for him

At the graveside service, I was again at a loss for the sacrifice that our previous generations have paid for us to sustain our freedom. The last time I was a pallbearer was at my Grandpa's funeral who was also a WWII Vet. This brought tears to my eyes after laying him in the gravesiteand 2 of my 4 kids wanted me to hold them while they asked questions of why "they were shooting the guns?"

Had plans to be there with you guys, but know I had other things I had to attend too.

You never know who's gonna show up to the next one.... ;D ;D ;D

[Jay]

Guys, I had a blast as always! Friday night I laughed until I hurt! As usual, when my dad and I travel together up that way the weather pulls a quick one on us and shuts the fishing down. I have grown used to it now. Its funny, that I really did not mind not catching many fish, I had a great time all the same. This is a great bunch of guys who I hope to get to fish with many more times!

I will say that Dad and I were the only ones who toughed out the cold and rain on sunday night, the rest of you deserve a paralyzer to the chode for wimping out! I(we did have a camper, so I quess that makes a little difference) I stayed and slapped some gills on the watauga Monday!

Sitz, I wish you could have made it too. Maybe next one!

[clincher]

Three beautiful 12 inch browns and a bunch of good friends. Tight lines my brothers!