I was getting tired. The drone of the two Pratt & Whitney Wasp Jr. engines was hypnotically seductive. I was almost to my destination. I directed the air from a vent at my face. It was chilly and helped quite a bit. I blinked the sleep from my eyes and checked the GPS. Almost there. Time to be alert. I reached to the copilot seat and opened the cooler and got a icy wash cloth. I rubbed my face and eyes and felt lots better. I could see the lake ahead and pulled back on the throttles a bit and dropped the nose some. I found what I was looking for. About twenty or thirty seaplanes and amphibs were gathered in one spot. I called on Unicom and got an immediate response. They gave me the info on the altimeter and wind. I turned down wind then when I was opposite the landing area I turned and landed. I taxied to where a man was waving me ashore. I dropped the landing gear and taxied up on the ramp and followed him to a tie down area. I shut down and secured the aircraft.
I opened the door and dropped the steps and climbed down. A guy greeted me with a hand shake and introduced himself as George Hampton, the organizer of the Fly-In event. He grinned, "I never thought we would see a flying Goose again. Where are you from?"
"Florida. We just finished a five year rebuild of this bird, how does she look?"
He followed me as I tied the plane down and put the gust locks on.
"Wonderful, really sharp. Like new!"
"Where can I find a place to get a little sleep before I drop. I am getting too old for two one thousand mile days in a row."
"Wow! I don't blame you, You did it all solo?"
"Yep! Needed some time alone. Got it too."
"Here, I'll run you over to the Lodge in this golf cart. Throw your bag in the back."
I woke up the next morning and was ravenous. I found the restaurant and ordered the Lumberjack Special, It included bacon, sausage, hash browns, a stack of pancakes and four eggs over light and toast. It was just what I needed. Very good too!
When my belly was full I walked down to the old bird and checked her out. She was happy and secure. Several people came over and asked me questions about her. I enjoyed talking to them. When I had a chance I climbed up in the cabin and found the display board I had made up for air shows and set it up in front of the plane. It answered most people's questions.
I locked her back up and walked back to the lodge. George Hampton came over and asked me where I had heard about the Fly-In. I had to confess that I wasn't there for the Fly-In. I was there to go fishing. He laughed and was a good sport about it. I looked at my watch and told him that I had to meet my guide. He told me to tell the people at the lodge I was part of the Fly-In and I would get a discount. I thanked him and told him I would look him up later.
I walked to the desk and told them I was supposed to meet a fishing guide there. They took my name and I walked around looking at the fish mounts and wild game heads on display. I was admiring a huge lake trout when I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I turned and looked into the biggest brown eyes I had ever seen. They were set in a very attractive face. She said, "Are you Mister Theodore Stewart?" I said she had the right man.
"Are you ready to go fishing? I am your guide, my name is Golden Dawn Porter. Every one calls me Goldie."
"Well, Hi! Goldie, everyone calls me Ted. How are you? And I am ready to go fishing."
"Follow me then Ted, My truck is outside." I walked behind her out to the truck. I may be older than dirt but I know a sweet butt when I see one. She really had one. We climbed in her Four by Four and headed off towards the hills.
"What do you want to fish for?" she asked.
"Well, what is good now. I am basically a southern city boy and I don't know what is biting or not now. I used to fly fish some and I would like a chance to try it again."
"In the streams the trout are good now. We'll find a good pool where the casting is easy and see how you do. O.K. with you?"
"Sounds good to me. Do we have far to go?"
"No, Ted we are almost there. See the road heading down the hill to the left? That is where the pool is. We will have to walk a few hundred feet from where we park." She turned down a narrow road and pulled off to the side and parked. We got out and she walked to the back of the truck and opened the rear of the topper. It was filled with all sorts of tackle. Fly, bait casting and spinning rods hung in racks from the roof. Tackle boxes were in racks on the sides. She asked what size shoes I wore and I told her size 10. She pulled a pair of waders from a box and told me to put them on. She slipped out of her moccasins and pulled on a pair herself. She grinned and handed me a fly rod and a creel. I told her I didn't want to keep any fish and I was rewarded with a bigger grin.
"Let's go then." she said.
We walked down a little trail to the pool. A stream entered from the north and left from the south. I could see rocks and boulders where the stream left the pool. There were clumps of rocks here and there. We eased quietly down to the pool. She smiled and asked me to try to cast as far as I could out in the pool. I worked out some line with quick sweeps of the rod until I had enough line out to make a decent back cast. I worked out some more line with false casts. Then I made a double haul cast and dropped the fly just behind some rocks on the other side of the pool. I looked at her and asked, "Now what?"
"Just let it drift down and see if you get a take. Something is looking at it! You got him. Work him in. That's a nice trout."
She waded out in the stream and netted the fish for me.
She looked up at me and held the fish for me to see. She pulled forceps from her belt and unhooked the fly. She released the fish. She walked up to me with her hands on her hips. "What is all this bull about not knowing how to cast? That was a damned long cast. Longer than I can make. Looked to be right on target too!"
"I thought I said I hadn't had a fly rod in my hand for a while. I guess it has been fifteen or twenty years since I touched one. I have never fished for trout."
"What did you fish for?"
