I think the dang river makes people crazy!

[Haywood]

I start thinking about all of the crazy things I have seen, fishing the river and if there weren't so many witnesses, I would actually think I was crazy.
One year there was a man eating tree out there, we saw it flip 7 out of 11 kayakers, several canoes, a few small boat and even I fell victim to it twice and I knew exactly where it was and what it was capable of, but you still couldn't avoid it.
Another year we woke up at the camp ground to find 2 other people joined us at the campground at night and rather than putting up a tent, they slept on a blanket, wearing nothing more than what God put them on this earth in.
And another where two friends, mixed with a bottle of whiskey lead to them looking for a fight, with anyone that would fight them, while another guy drove his truck through a guard rail in attempt to get away from the scene he was actually responsible for creating. Luckily in the end, they ended up fighting each other and passing out.
Well, this year I get to add another story to the list.
We just took off and there was this small tent just off of shore with a rubber raft in front of it, under a no tresspassing sign. It was about 10AM and there was no one outside of it, but there were clothes spread out on the raft like they were drying out.
About 12:30, we see a guy coming down in the rubber raft. He's got a HUGE duffle bag in the raft with him and he has one paddle, about 24" long that he is paddling his butt of with.
He goes past us and Chilly Willy says something to the tune of "Nice day for a float". This guy ignores him and keeps his head looking away from us. Eventually he passes us and disappears into the distance.
So about 4:45, we are going by the campground and there is the raft and the tent.
My wife, daughter and I go bye in our boat, no bid deal. Chilly is a few hundred yards behind us and as he goes bye, the guy is standing on shore and yells "Hey fat f*&%&, you can go and f%$* yourself!!" Chilly replies, "Did I do something to piss you off?" and the guy took off back up to his tent.
Other than possibly waking him up at 10AM as we went bye, we haven't been able to figure out what that was all about. We are kind of guess Schizo off his meds or fugitive on the run. Probably not the strangest on the list, the naked people was pretty messed up, but one more of those memories to just shake your head at.

[Teng]

"And another where two friends, mixed with a bottle of whiskey lead to them looking for a fight, with anyone that would fight them, while another guy drove his truck through a guard rail in attempt to get away from the scene he was actually responsible for creating. Luckily in the end, they ended up fighting each other and passing out." <--- I remember that.. lol

[Teng]

Yesterday, I had a model with me to do a photoshoot on the river with my boat. As I was backing down the trailer, the model says to me.. "So, does the tires fold up when you get in the water?" lol.. I said.. What do you mean. She replies "You know, does it fold up and tuck under, kinda like the airplanes" --> Smacks my head and tried to keep a straight face..

[perry piehl]

I think many of the rivers in this great State are the lifeline of many of our best lakes. If I had more time, I'd fish them more often!