Don't Miss the Joke!!!

It was a little over twenty years ago and I think I had one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. My brother and I were down skiing Taos and while we were standing in the lift line I heard an Angel behind me say “excuse me sir”. As I turned, it felt like a scene straight out of Waynes’ World. In my mind, her face was perfect, she was a ski instructor and her ski school outfit was zipped down just enough to show her perfect  skin , the wind was blowing her hair back and her lips were pursed as if she was begging me to kiss them( in my mind). I started hearing Foxy Lady playing in my brain and in a muttered voice I said yes. She then asked me if I was single (oh my gosh, an 11 just asked me if I was single), yes squeaked out and she then asked me if one of the kids she was teaching could go up the lift with me. I stood for a second and realized what had just happened and I said “actually I am with him” and pointed at my brother. It took a second for both of them to realize what had just happened and then they both burst into laughter. Like I always say, if you can’t laugh at yourself, you will miss the greatest joke of your generation.

  Well today on the river felt a little like that sheepish guy saying yep I am single. Cat was in the shop today so I knew it was going to be just me and Winston. I was planning on going a little closer to the dam but as I was passing Valco I saw Tino getting ready. I went ahead and pulled in there and decided I would hang out with Tino and his son Logan for a while. We jumped into Dj’s and started hooking 4 inch fish. I walked up a little and I think I landed half a dozen that were five inches tops. As I walked back down Tino had tangled from a frisky fish and he told me to jump into the spot that he was hooking fish. I could hear him telling Logan to watch exactly what I was doing because I am a professional. Ten casts or so and Logan was not impressed, lots of nutten. Anyhow I moved down and hooked a few more super dinks and then I looked up and watched Tino and Logan land a nice fish.  To make matters worse, Winston was now hanging out with them(fair-weather dog). Dejected I decided to move and once I was out of eyesight of any witnesses, the bugs started hatching and I landed my nicest fish of the day, a nineteen inch bow. I landed another smaller one right away and then as I was scouring for the pigs, one came into view. First cast and BANG a beautiful very nice fish comes a foot out of the water and as he crashed back to the river my flies came flying back at me. For just a second I thought at least no one saw that miss, then from behind me I heard Cody say you are supposed to get those one all the way to the net. Busted..Well anyway Cody moved below me and every few casts it was the same, fish on, a quick run and fish off. Winston began giving me the same look my brother and the hot ski schooler gave me so many years ago. I spotted one more really nice fish and when I hooked him the result was the same only instead of just Cody, Eddie and Ben were witness to my less than adequate landing skills. Well it was a blast anyway, got several to the net but just got my tail kicked by the fish today. Cody had a few show him the sticky side of rocks and then got one fatty to the net. Bugs were thick between noon and 1:30. Flies of the day were an FOD, and small black midge.

  As always, thanks for reading. Connell, Cat, Winston and The Drift Fly Shop…..