Adventures on the Way to the Atlanta Fly Fishing Show

by | Feb 1, 2023 | The Fly Fishing Show | 1 comment

troutbum-carAs mentioned last week, Granny and I are doing the East Coast Fly Fishing Shows from my old 1991 Exploder.  The only reason is that when we were without a home last year at this time, I had the silver SUV parked at Mom’s in NH.  So part of this show tour is about getting my favorite fishing truck to our new place in WI.  As you might expect, asking an already old car to start up and travel 2,500 miles from NH down to MA and back then to NJ then GA then up to WI during winter after being idle for 14 months, is asking a lot.

 

flyfishingThings seemed ok ten days ago when we took the Exploder to the MA Fly Fishing Show from NH and back.  Then last week, despite the George Washington Bridge in NYC being terrifying, we made it successfully from NH to NJ.  But sure enough, as we started the NJ to Atlanta jaunt, the first challenge occurred.

 

We got all packed up Monday morning.  I was stressed at the thought of maneuvering my stick-shift classic down the NJ turnpike.  And wouldn’t you know, before we even left the parking lot, the Exploder wouldn’t start.  At first my car wouldn’t even take a jump-start, but after we let it juice ten minutes, luckily it started and off we went – without much confidence might I say!

 

Staunton VirginiaI had so little confidence that each time we gassed up or grabbed a snack, I left the car running.  I didn’t turn it off until we got to a hotel in Staunton, VA.  Staunton was nice by the way.  We got a tasty Thai dinner at Ubon Thai then a couple beers at Byers St Bistro.  It was a fun night however we spent the evening wondering if the Exploder would start in the morning.

flyfishing

As a lifetime angler I’m big on believing in good luck, and sure enough the car started.  We were relieved.  But before we even got on Highway 81 to continue, a god awful noise happened.  Our dang muffler broke lose from our rusty tail pipe and hit the ground.  It was raining and not much fun, but I took my knot demo rope for my Streamer Class and tied it together enough to get back on the road.  My repair wasn’t pretty (likely not legal either) but we were on our way!

 

 

flyfishingWe were a little nervous at first.  I didn’t go more than 55 mph for an hour.  But gradually our sureness grew and eventually I took it to 65.  Our dilemma of possibly breaking down on the highway became insignificant when we came upon an absolute disastrous fire engulfed crash involving two semi’s and several cars.  At least Granny and I were alive and well and continued to move towards Atlanta, GA.

 

JeffCurrierWe made it as far as Bryson City, NC to our friend Mac Brown’s house arriving around 4 PM.  But the exhaust system on the Exploder looked far worse than in the morning.  My jimmy-rig had disintegrated as did a few more things.  Lucky for us, Mac knows a mechanic shop that could get us in, and I dropped the Exploder off at 9 AM this morning.

 

flyfishing-NCIts all good news tonight, the Explorer is back in our hands and all patched up.  I’m not saying we’re in the clear all the way back to WI, but we should make the 2.5 hours from here to Atlanta tomorrow.  And of course, after all this, we hope to see you at the show!

 

Here are my seminar and demonstration times for this weekend at the Atlanta Fly Fishing Show.  Click on the presentation titles for the full details.

 

Friday

11:30 – Catch Room – “Fly Fishing for Carp – A 20lb Fish Near Home”

2:15 – Casting Pond 1 – “Improve Your Dry Fly Presentation”

 

Saturday

11:15 – Casting Pond 2 – “Fly Casting 101”

3:00 – Release Room – “Tricks and Tactics for the World’s Best Flats”

 

Sunday

1:30 – Release Room – “Streamer Tricks for Larger Trout”

3:15 – Casting Pond 1 – “Casting in the Wind and the Double Haul”

 

Follow the daily events on my IG – @jeffcurrier65

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing

1 Comment

  1. Tad

    Jeff,

    Good luck with the 1991 Explorer. I just parted with my 1993 Ford Ranger last week – it really hurt but it was time to move on to a more modern vehicle where I could readily get parts.

    Tad

Welcome to the Blog of Jeff Currier!

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I started fly fishing at age 7 in the lakes and ponds of New England cutting my teeth on various sunfish, bass, crappie and stocked trout. I went to Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin, where I graduated with a Naturalist Degree while I discovered new fishing opportunities for pike, muskellunge, walleyes and various salmonids found in Lake Superior and its tributaries.

From there I headed west to work a few years in the Yellowstone region to simply work as much as most people fish and fish as much as most people work. I did just that, only it lasted over 20 years working at the Jack Dennis Fly Shop in Jackson, WY where I departed in 2009. Now it’s time to work for "The Man", working for myself that is.

I pursue my love to paint fish, lecture on every aspect of fly fishing you can imagine and host a few trips to some of the most exotic places you can think of. My ultimate goal is to catch as many species of fish on fly possible from freshwater to saltwater, throughout the world. I presently have taken over 440 species from over 60 countries!

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