4th of July Weedend

My brother’s birthday is July 2^nd which fell on Saturday. My dad has a place on Holter Lake (which is actually a reservoir) above Holter Dam. The Missouri flows out of the dam, currently at a rate of 22,000 cfs rather than the normal 4,000 to 6,000. Dad was grilling steaks at the cabin and dinner was at 5pm. My wife Gigi was away for the weekend to a family gathering. I decided that it would be better to leave Friday after work and head to Craig and drink bourbon with the gang at Headhunters, than to sit at home alone. I planned to fish the river Saturday and get out about 4pm giving me time to be at the cabin in time for dinner. I left the bar in Craig at 11pm or so after the usual cigar, bourbon, and BS. I crashed for the night at the cabin and got up and headed for Craig, with a mild hangover, about 6am hoping I could find breakfast, Gaitoraid, and some form of analgesic for my headache. Nothing was open when I got there. I snoozed in the truck waiting for something to open. Mark, one of the owners and guides at Headhunters fly shop stopped by the shop early to grab a quick coffee before heading back out to shoot some early morning photos. He graciously gave me a complimentary Gaitoraid, and asked if one was enough. Gaitoraid is one of the primary ingredients of my standard hangover cure. Food is the other. Mark also had some aspirin in his rig and gave me some for the headache. By this time a trailer dispensing food had opened across the street so I bid Mark a farewell and went across the street and got a cinnamon roll for breakfast. I had arranged my shuttle the night before, between bourbons, and was set to head for the put in. It was a typical day of chucking heavy artillery in high water which rewarded me with two rainbows. After which I made it to my take out at Craig by 4pm and made it to dinner at the cabin on time. I enjoyed a great meal and some quality time with dad, mom, and bro. My dad and brother would shuttle my vehicle the next two days. Sunday was pretty much the same as Saturday with lots of splash and gigglers on the river. Again two rainbows were caught. The one difference from Saturday is that a family floating the river had taken a channel with a low bridge that could not be floated under at current high water levels and ended up flipping their raft. I managed to rescue their cooler which didn’t even have a beer to reward my effort. Someone told me no one was injured in the mishap. One other event did set the day apart from the previous one. As I floated silently around a corner approaching one of my usual fishing spots I saw a drift boat with no one in it on the bank. I looked to see where its occupants were and no one was in sight. Then a young man stood up out of the tall grass with only a pair of shorts on. He was then followed by a young female (both were in their 20’s) she was similarly attired. She had on a bikini bottom but no top. She casually looked around then spotted me spotting her. We starred at each other much like a deer stares into the headlights of an oncoming vehicle just before being struck. Then a look of realization came across her face and she plummeted back into the tall grass. The angler in me over rode the gentleman in me and I stopped just down stream to fish not wanting to pass up one of my usual fishing spots just to save the vanity of some young damsel. One must have priorities and one of mine is fishing. I fished again the next day and did a bit better in the body count department catching 3 trout, 1 walleye, and a sucker. It was a great time on the river with a lot less pressure than was expected for a holiday weekend. Cocktails on the porch at Headhunters were great with Mark doing his usual great fob of cooking up dogs and burgers on the Weber grill. I am looking forward to another great time on the river this weekend. It will be my dads turn as birthday boy as he will turn 75 this Saturday. The party starts at 2pm so I will pass on the hangover this time and get an early start on the river. Not sure that I will pass on the cocktails though since Gigi will be attending another family function. Here’s hoping everyone has a great time fishing and the river drops soon.