Day 3, Florida Fish-In
In by email:
Started the day with breakfast again at the Kingfish Cafe, only the Tidys had ventured to the Orvis sale at the Tampa Convention Center; and Gil was down in Placida. Florida Flyer and Flats Dude had another 3:30 am ride around town like the previous morning and had eaten at Dennys around 4:30 am, so only got coffee and entertained us with their fishing exploits from younger days while we ate. Les and Judy, Phil and Michelle and myself had the days fishing plans discussed. Old Geezer and the Mrs. were going down to Placida to kayak and canoe with FL ski bum. I would have joined them except snap, crackle and pops cousins came to visit this morning when I was getting out of bed after a day of learning to fly fish off a kayak and paddleing around in a good breeze the day before.
Also had to go to the butchers to get the buffalo burgers for the cookout and they didn't open until 9 am, plus the grocery stores. Les and Judy were going to the Rookery, a wildlife area in Venice and later Les was going back to the Lemon Bay flats we had fished before. Another flyfisherman, a friend of Harold's and on the FAOL Bulletin Board ( sorry if I don't get the name right ) Jack had joined the breakfast table after he got a Fish-In package of information and after looking at the map quest directions to the Lemon Bay flats, he was off to fish. Most said their goodbyes to Ed and Gary after breakfast, as they were driving back to the east coast of Florida because of prior commitments.
Presented Ed a red bead chain eye crystal schminnow-night snook fly for those times he wears women's shorts while flyfishing ( you just had to be at the fly shop the day before when he professed this with most just waiting to go out to dinner at Captain Eddies; and maybe not as a joke! ) so he could catch a few!
Had to ask Gary about how Englewood had changed, since he had gotten lost driving to a ! restaurant south of the Middle Beach we had fished the day before because he went north instead of going south the 4 miles thereby taking the scenic route and then commented he really wouldn't want to go to Ft Myers-Sanibel-Captiva nor Pine Island because they wouldn't be anything like he remembered from the earlier times in his life since he really didn't recognize alot of Englewood after the 10 mile detour.
Never caught up with anyone all day to see how the fishing would be, and leaving the cell phone at home didn't make it any easier. Sort of karma,, from Gil losing his cell phone in the parking lot of the Veranda Inn from the previous morning. Later in the afternoon had spoken with Gil while he was tying on another fly pattern about lunch, but he, old geezer and Michelle were having an adventure in the mangrove islands avoiding the Flatsmasters Fishing Tournament boats ( 120 boats entered and now Floridas largest fishing tourny ) and the 20 knot winds.
Haven't gotten the whole fishing report yet . Seems a few hours later the dinner bell was starting to ring and the idea was to find a place closer to me being at home. Suggested the Myakka River Oyster Bar, about 12 miles south if Venice. So after a few phone calls and playing phone tag, had gotten thru to the Maynards', Tidys' and Gil for a 6pm meet. Since Gil had said he was going to get cleaned up around 4:30; about the same time I would be doing the same; I took the back roads to the restaurant to save time and pulled up about 6:05pm, just in time to hit the truck horn to draw the Tidys' attention as they were walking towards the front door.
Ken and Diane talked about what a great shopping spree they had at the Orvis sale and showed most of the fly tying materials they had found at a bargain. Les and Judy arrived and the conversation recalled their day plus more of everyones adventures of trying to decide whether to fish in the winds again! While we were standing out in the parking lot. Gil drove right by the parking lot entrance and had to turn around to finally join us. Had called for reservations, but the restaurant doesn't take any; but we walked up and were seated. Great conversations about more fly fishing over drinks and before dinner was ordered, (pure bs) Bill Sorbie phoned to tell us he would be down for the breakfast meet and greet Sunday and fish with us. Then another phone call just as Les was telling the group about his days of owning a flyshop and not having enough time to go salmon and steelhead fishing !
Can't even imagine.....The phone call was Phil and Michelle asking for directions to the restaurant on their return drive from fishing Placida and going over to Boca Grande. They arrived shortly thereafter, just in time for the new seating arrangement the restaurant provided by shifting tables around to accommodate us. Just another fancy Florida restaurant with plastic eating utensils, plastic baskets for the grouper sandwiches (the piece of fish was much larger than the sub roll it is served on, my kind of grilled grouper sandwich in Florida! Actually know of a handful more restaurants that have even bigger fish portions ) Seems the paper bowls for the seafood gumbo type chowder were just right. For desert a few ordered the Key Lime pie and were quite impressed ! Suggested Mrs. Edwards frozen Key Lime Pie at the grocery for next to the real thing and bought one for desert at the picnic tomorrow. Should have gotten 2.......We'll meet again for breakfast and try to fish where there's more fish willing to strike the flies we've been presenting, then off to a picnic at Tightloops !
saltydancindave@earthlink.net
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