Please enjoy the slide show of the trip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Uk-FW_xsPQ
Bachelor parties in the movies are represented by dance clubs, late nights & last hoorahs before the nuptials take place. However sometimes using some of what’s in our not-so-far mountains can provide a more memorable journey that lasts a lifetime.
I recently had the opportunity to go fly fishing the Watauga River in a drift boat. As wonderful as that is what really made it more fun is doing it with family and friends. Guide Randy Ratliff at www.trout-fishers.net helped put the boats together (3 in all, for 2 days).
My three brothers (one of which is getting married in September), my dad & a buddy, Gerald B. & I travelled to Bluff City, TN on a Tuesday afternoon for a bachelor party, midweek, that would rival the fun of the movie, Hangover; except we’d remember our trip.
The first day Randy set us up with Adam & Ryan & away we went with the fishing starting out HOT. In fact, I was in Ryan’s boat the first day with Gerald B. Gerald had never fly fished & promply got the day started with clean casts & the first two fish in the boat.
The other boats being led by Adam & Randy were having equal success. It all goes to show that you don’t have to be a veteran angler to enjoy the sport.
Brandon had a few episodes with a tree. Namely he caught his fly & leader in it; then promptly put three of the four rod sections in different areas of the tree while helping Evan D hold the boat with his fly line……..We can’t put the photos or video from that part of the trip.
Ted, Bailey & Clay were also having a great time. Simple casts, mends & doing what the guide said made it all a bit easier (& more successful). The June days were fantastic but would heat up during the mid-day. Thankfully our clothing, oriented around wicking, sun protection & comfort kept us feeling fine. In fact it’s amazing how much the day would heat up, we’d sweat a bit, then a mountain breeze would come done the river & cool us off.
Special thanks to all the guides that took us down the river; & to Randy Ratliff (www.trout-fishers.net) that kept lining up additional boats as our angling trip all came together at the last minute. We went from two people scheduled to stay at Pappaws Fishing Pad on the first night to having all 6 of us; that place was great & we had owner, Bob Light, checking on us daily.
Plus, we experienced Price’s Store (previously known as Webb’s store) each morning for breakfast. What a fantastic way to start the day; “the breakfast special,” 2 eggs, bacon, biscuits & gravy, with coffee for $4.50.
What a great time!
by Bill Bartee, owner of Jesse Brown’s Outdoors & co-host of the Carolina Outdoors