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A week ago Sunday we dropped by the consummate candy store off of Churn Creek Rd. Piled out of the rig, but forgot to leave the wallet in the truck this go around- an old trick I picked up years back. One of the guys declared we are on our way to Sugar Creek Ranch and we were immediately bombarded with flies that had worked a few weeks ago for the shop employee and on what ponds. The temptation was too great and we eagerly scooped up the sampling and then some before heading to the cash register. Spied Gierach's new book and fell victim to it only because he had signed that particular copy. Oops, forgot to leave my wallet outside. Usually about this time I leave the store to retrieve my wallet only to sped off before the sale is rung up. While we were in the shop a buddy called to get the particulars on the upcoming shad fishing, but more importantly claimed that the CB hatch at Rock Creek was incredible this year and we missed it. Not wanting to hear the excitement in his voice, I passed the cell phone to one of the guys in the shop to hear the ravings of an otherwise cubicalled daydreamer of outdoor activities. Yes, nice report. I thought for sure that they would erase the hot flies they had posted on the wall, but they put it off as a crazed obscene phone call.
Hit Costco on an empty stomach but wasn't in the mood to graze on the samples and made the dash back to the rig to head further north. Finally arrived at Sugar Creek Ranch's Lodge and unloaded the gear and headed to the ponds to see what was up. Six plus hours of driving non stop except for the candy store and Costco and I am now bushed. But I drag myself to the ponds with prospects of a tug. My partner pulled out the bunny leaches and immediately went into dredge mode. After a few grabs, he announces that the fish are there. Yeah, but that ain't doing me any good. For some reason my knots are failing and I start to question my knot tying abilities and even more, why did I go on this trip anyway? The trees appear out of no where and my supply of bunny leaches dwindles far faster than anticipated. If I had only prepared better in my selection of leaches, etc. instead of relying on the kindness of others. Fatigue overcomes me. Fished til dark and head back to the lodge in order to have a dinner snack and off to bed. Up before first light, don't ask what time cause I don't wear a watch. On less than 4 hours sleep we are again hitting the water for a long day of fishing. Wind wasn't an issue, but by Monday night, things start clouding up and cooling off. We got a little precip in morning. Slept in on Tuesday in anticipation of the long drive home. My partner who had supplied me with leaches goes into his slow deliberate excuse about being an Indian giver, but some how he needs to take back the leaches he donated to my experience so that he can fish leaches on his last day. I don't have the heart to tell him that I may not have any of his favorite leaches left in my possession. This is the negative side of accepting one's tried and true productive flies. As he looks through his fly boxes he finds a days worth of flies for the both of us. What a relief.
The knot tying did not improve on our last day as I continued my substantial donation to the trees. I will have to make it back in the fall after the leaves have fallen, exposing my collection of flies. A ladder will prove useful as well.
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