BACK FROM THE BRINK

WELL I AIN'T NEVER BEEN RIGHT, AS I AIN'T NEVER BEEN WRONG, SELDOM TURNS OUT LIKE IT DOES IN THE SONG. 'CAUSE ONCE IN AWHILE IT SHOWS YOU THE LIGHT, IN THE STRANGEST OF PLACES,IF YOU LOOK AT IT RIGHT. THE FRED HALL ADVENTURE. PERHAPS YOU NOTICED A LITTLE STRESS IN MY LAST REPORTING OF THE THEN UPCOMING F.H.S. IN LONG BEACH. PERCEPTIVE OF YOU MY FRIEND, IT AIN'T MY FAVORITE THING TO DO. IT'S A LITTLE LIKE GOING BACK TO YOUR OLD TOWN AFTER MANY YEARS,IE. THERE ARE A FEW PEOPLE WHO ARE GREAT TO SEE AGAIN, A LOT OF NEW FACES MOST OF WHOM FRANKLY WILL NOT MAKE IT INTO THE PREVIOUS CATEGORY, AND A LOT OF TIME SPENT WONDERING WHY YOU CAME. GETTING A LITTLE DISPARAGING THERE DAVID, BUT A ROAD TRIP IS ALWAYS WORTH SOMETHING, AND PAST TRIPS TO LONG BEACH HAVE RESULTED IN SOME CLASSIC STORIES OF MISHAP, ADVENTURE, AND GENERALLY UNPREDICTABLE HAPPENINGS. THIS ONE WAS NO DIFFERENT, BUT AS ALWAYS, DIFFERENT. BECAUSE OF SOME LAST MINUTE PLANS NOT PLANNED AND OTHER BRAIN DETRITUS WE ENDED UP FLYING ON THE MIGHTY VOLARIS. "THAT SHOULD ELIMINATE A LOT OF YOUR PREVIOUS RISKS" YOU SAY? TRUE ENOUGH, BUT NOT ALL. ANDRES, MY NATIVE COMPENDIUM AND I SET OUT TO THE TJ AIRPORT WITH FAR TOO MANY CARRYONS AND HIGH HOPES. ARRIVING IN TJ WE CONFRONTED OUR FIRST PROBLEM. IGNORING OUR REPEATED PROMPTS TO PICK US UP AT OTAY MESA MY CRACK TRANSPORTATION TEAM WAITED FOR 2 HOURS AT SAN YSIDRO, AS WE COINCIDENTALLY WAITED AT OTAY, UNTIL IT GOT DARK AND COLD, AND WE GOT INTO THE CAB FOR A RIDE INTO CHULA JUANA. ARRIVING THERE IN THE DARK WE MADE OUR WAY TO BOBO'S SECRET HIDEAWAY AND BEGAN TO GATHER OUR STUFF FOR THE SHOW. SOMEWHERE IN THERE WE WERE UNITED WITH OUR WOULD BE TRANSPORTERS, WHO WEAKLY CLAIMED THAT THEY HAD BEEN MISINSTRUCTED! ABOUT THEN I NOTICED THAT I HAD LEFT MY NOTEBOOK/BRAIN UNIT IN THE CAB. AFTER ANDRES TRACKED DOWN THE ERRANT PORTFOLIO, THE GOOD AND BAD NEWS WAS THAT IT WAS IN THE CAB, AND THAT THERE WOULD BE NO REUNION UNTIL AFTER THE SHOW. WE FORGED ON TO OCEANSIDE WHERE WE STAYED WITH THE OFT DISCUSSED AND LITTLE ENCOUNTERED FLY LINING DUTCHMAN, HANS, AKA FRITZ. HE WELCOMED US INTO HIS BEAUTIFUL HOME AND WAS A PERFECT HOST. IN THE MORNING WE PRESSED ON TO LONG BEACH AND SET UP OUR NEW BOOTH IN A RECORD 42 MINUTES. THIS RECORD WAS NOT ANY FAULT OF MINE, BUT WAS BECAUSE BOBO AND ANDY HAD HAD A NEW BOOTH DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED, OUR BEST AND EASIEST TO ASSEMBLE YET. WE THEN WENT TO PICK UP BROCHURES. IF YOU WILL ALLOW ME TO DIGRESS MOMENTARILY, I WILL GIVE MY HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION TO "COPYCO" IN LONG BEACH. THE PROPRIETOR "JJ" LIVED UP TO THE REVIEWS ON THE NET. VERY GOOD WORK, ON TIME, AT A PRICE SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW "KINKO'S", A COMPANY WHOSE NAME HAS ALWAYS MADE ME THINK OF WEARING LEATHER AND GLOVESHOES WHILE USING THEIR REPRODUCTIVE SERVICES. "COPYCO" HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. WE RETREATED TO THE HOTEL WHICH I HAD RESERVED ON THE NET. IT WORKED OUT VERY WELL AS WELL. CLOSE, CHEAP, GOOD TV'S, NO COMPLAINTS. THEN CAME THE SHOW..... GOOD SIZED CROWDS UPON THE OPENING OF THE DOORS, PETERING OUT TO NO ONE BUT EXHIBITORS BY THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS, EVERYDAY. NOT BLAMING YOU FOR NOT GOING, I PROBABLY WOULDN'T MYSELF, BUT ANOTHER SIGN THAT THIS SORT OF EXHIBIT HAS NUMBERED DAYS. ALL THE BIG REEL GUYS WERE THERE, WITH MAJOR SIZED EXHIBITS TOUTING $1200 SPINNING REELS AND THE USE OF EXOTIC MATERIALS. TITANIUM, UNOBTAINIUM, AND POLYVENDUM WILL HELP YOU CATCH MORE FISH, I GUESS. ONCE AGAIN VISITED THE "SUSHI GUY". DIFFERENT ONE THIS YEAR, CLAIMS TO BE BROTHER OF LAST YEARS' STAR. SLIGHTLY MORE SUBTLE APPROACH, BUT A NICE GUY, AND GAVE GLYNNIS A "YUMMIMOTO ALL TITANIUM VEGETABLE SLICER" OR TWO. I GUESS THAT TITANIUM STUFF DOES EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE BETTER. AS ALWAYS, NICE TO SEE FACES WITH HISTORY, HOWARD, LOU, RICHARD, AND THOSE WITH LESS HISTORY BUT UNLIMITED POTENTIAL. JUAN WAS THERE IN A SUITABLY TIE DYED CAMISA, LOOKIN' GOOD. GOT SOME GOOD INTEREST IN MAG BAY, LOTS OF FOLKS HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT, BUT SINCE THERE AREN'T MANY OF US DOIN' IT THERE REMAIN LOTS OF QUESTIONS. YOU SHOULD DO THIS TRIP. HEARD SEVERAL SERMONS ON THE BAJA, "I'VE GOIN' DOWN THERE SINCE 1750 THERE SON", GOT A LESSON ON THE HANDWRITING OF ANDY'S PREDECESSORS, AND HANDED OUT A METRIC BUTTLOAD OF FLYERS. THE TRAVEL GUYS FROM ALASKA WERE IN ABUNDANCE, THE TACKLE STORES WERE SELLING LOTS OF DOODADS AND WHATNOTS, AND BEEF JERKEY WAS ABOUT $MILLION DOLLARS AN OUNCE. KIDS WERE EXCITED, SAW A COUPLE OF DREXS' FAMILY MEMBERS JUMPING IN THE WATER, AND TRIED TO UNDERSTAND WHY PRETTY LITTLE SKINNY TEENAGE GIRLS WERE SUPPOSED TO MAKE ME WANT TO BUY SOMETHING (I THINK THAT IT'S A CORRELLARY TO THE SITUATION IN MEXICO WHERE APPARENTLY CRAPPY MUSIC, PLAYED VERY LOUDLY FROM POOR SPEAKERS IS SUPPOSED TO PUT ONE IN THE BUYIN' MOOD. HARROLD DAVIS, A GREAT GUY AND A GREAT BOAT BUILDER TOLD ME THAT HE HAD RETIRED, THAT'S A SHAME, AND I WISH HIM WELL. GOIN' HOME WAS A LOT LIKE GETTING THERE, EXCEPT BACKWARDS. ANDY GUIDED ME THROUGH THE AIRPORT, LOST HIS SOUP, AND MADE SURE THAT WE HAD OUR EXIT ROW SEATS. NOW THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA! AND ONCE AGAIN, THE FRED HALL FANDANGO WAS IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR. WHILE ANDY AND I WERE HOBKNOBBING, BOBO WAS MANNING THE FORT, AND HIS CUSTOMERS WERE EXPERIENCING SOME EXCELLENT YELLOWTAIL FISHING. 4-6 FISH IN THE UPPER 20'S TO MID 30'S PER BOAT PER DAY, WITH EXCEPTIONAL NUMBERS RIGHT AROUND THE FULL MOON, WERE THE RULE, ALONG WITH SOME PARGO LISA AND A FEW NICE CABRILLA.NOW THAT WE'VE ROUNDED THE CORNER INTO SPRING EXPECT MORE FISHING REPORTS, AND PERHAPS LESS MUSINGS. THANKS FOR LOOKING IN, DAVID