I SURVIVED THE DEL VALLE FISH AND CHILL!!!

Wow! I had a great time just chill'in out with the group. Thanks to all for putting another well done event together. Bless all the people who attended I am glad I got to see old friends as well as meet new.

Kevin

WOW...what can I say...we experienced lot's of rain, STRONG winds and even some hail yet we had a great time. And yes, I'm proud to say that I'm a member of an elite squad of STORM TROOPERS (Al, how about designing a special patch so we can proudly display it )

Once again, many thanks to all that joined the madness...even to those who just showed up for a day. Scott / GB2 - the chilli was off da huk - it was nice to see Molly and I'm sure Bella was happy to see her too....Aki (Chuck's dog) was ignoring Bella all weekend

Special thanks to:

 -Mike Chin (our team leader for team barbie) for bringing a crap load of firewood and also for giving us some fly fishing lessons We had so much firewood, we should have just built a wooden cabin before the storm hit us Thanks to Al and Paul for making an extra trip with me to haul all the firewood to the camp site


-To Frank for helping me organize this trip AND for creating a fun way to help and support our troops....truly a very worthy cause

- To Mike Chin, again, for donating the money he won to such a cause = YOU are top shelf my fellow asian brother     

- To Andy / Fish Master and all the other cooks/grill men who fed the hungry....you guys rock    You can NEVER go hungry with this crew

- To the clean-up crew when all was said and done = thanks for making the time to stick around

Andy, you family is all about values and your pride in that stands out like a tailwalking marlin! Your a rich man bro!

I also want to echo Ben / Guitarzan sentiments regarding "Family".....seeing Andy, Paul, Adam and Frank's loved ones join in the NCKA gatherings just adds extra topping on the blueberry cheesecake   I hope we can see more of this family-friendly events in the future....this way, we can guarantee the future of NCKA....which is what the world needs more off

Like the great Bob Marley once sang......"let's get together and feel alright" ONE LOVE !!!

*Another note: Instead of doing MBF's (Money Between Friends)....why not follow Frank's lead and create more "Money for Help"


...pics to follow..

oops...forgot to post my fish score for the weekend:

One LMB estimated 18 incher (quick released) - Friday morning - from shore with a slip float / night crawler combo.

Two catfish - Saturday Morning - caught one at 3AM and then another at 4AM. Rod rigged with a bell and baited with frozen chovies.

Did not do much fishing Saturday but did a lot of scouting on the SUP board around the shoreline and submerged xmass trees - only to see one BIG carp.

Still at work, so no pictures yet.

  Holy &^%$ that was a STORM.  Was an opposite from last years  DelVal FnC#1 where it rained heavily the first day, but cleared for the next 2.  This weekend's storm definitely topped that storm.
I gotta send a Thanks to EricB who let me borrow a rather large tarp to cover my tent, which I discovered didn't have a rain-fly when I put it up. (It was really small also) I managed to nap somewhat dry, though I did grab the tarp at some point during the night in what seemed like 50mph gusts trying to rip it away.  I prevailed and stayed dry!  I did expect to wake and find the rather large sail (tarp)over my tent wrapped in trees across the meadow with me under it!
  Sometime during the early morning wondering if this is the gust to finally take me and my tent away, I started to "reevaluate" my thinking to come to any more of these events when theres a hint of rain involved

Anyway thanks again Eric.  (Sorry I couldn't get the tarp folded back up any smaller)

 I want to thank Frank also, for supplying the entertainment.  Unfortunately my Spiderman rod let me down, it's super silk spider web never stuck a fish.
 Mooch, as much as peeps bitched about the SQUAL, I'm sure it won't be the last time for many of us.

  The food!  OMG We need a little Buddha smiley, as many of us probably felt a little STUFFED!  Andy's Carnitas,  YUM,  the chicken-kabobs Al Q'd up YUM, I tried some fish thing ChuckE brought (Just before the container was emptied) I think it was a fish thing, YUM! Damn whatelse was there?  OH yeah, Al's manbeans spiced up with some atomic sausage Adam added!
  The chilli for the dawgs, I missed the bacon wrapped shrimp, think I stuck at the grill fixin my skirt steaks.  There was so much food.

 Saturday morning I gowned up in my waders, headed out towards the dam, Powered on my FF and quickly realized there was a issue with it.  Turned around and headed for the bank to investigate.  I found out that after stuffing my sleeping bag into the front hatch, the bag popped my transducer off the hull!  Oh well, not much I'm gonna be able to do about it now so closed up the hatch and headed out towards the dam.
 I started with my new Diawa line counter rod, and swung out my downrigger, tied on a rapela J7 and sent it down 25' I stayed out near the middle thinking I'd be ok from hitting bottom.  Apparently not as the "whining" of the downriggers cable stops when it hits bottom!  I was wondering why the note changed then I looked at the DR and saw it was jumping!  Ooops!  Grabbed the cable and lifted a a few feet quickly till I passed the seamount I couldn't see due to dead FF. 
  Back down the J7 went.  No hits.  Next tried my trusty green wedding ring, sent it down 30' and got nothing.  tried a worm on the wedding ring and again hooked a big fat nothing.
  Cranked up the DR weight, stowed it and tried on top, for a bit.  Throwing the J7 out again, then my wedding ring, then my roostertail (yellow) Was out out on the water for about 3-4hrs. for nada.   Even my spiderman rod and all its super powers were foiled.  (It did malfunction while drifting for smallies near Mooch)  It stopped reeling in!  Not sure why, but after a through disassemble of it on the water and putting it back together, it appeared to start working properly again. (Really just removed the cover and cussed at it, then screwed the cover back on)

   Wife packed me a little bottle of "Colmans" mustard, and when the man dawgs started to come off the grill, I grabbed one and slapped in a bun then slathered on my mustard and the anticaption of that first bite was getting to me, so I opened wide and chomped down! Then shortly realized the mustard was HOT mustard! DOH....  Didn't see this written anywhere on the small jar, (Didn't have my glasses on either) Thankfully my Corona was very close by and helped put the mini fire in my mouth out.  Next manchilli dawg I made sure to get normal mustard!

  Was glad the fire was started early, because when the chill started the fire was going really well.  Saturday night, around the fire, everyone in a food (Meat) stupor, there were a few really funny jokes told.  The one Andy (Fishmaster) told I think would have taken a prize if there was a contest, it had everyone bustin-a-gut! "Pinch his little nose"   As Adam mentioned "Think about the visual" Al retells it in the funny stuff forum.
Another noteable one I was present to hear was from Ben.  But due to the nature of the joke, it'll remain untold here by me. "Whats said around the campfire stays around the campfire"
 It was a goody though!

It was good for me to finally put faces to all the handles I've been reading here on this site, Sorry I can't remember them all right now,(noteable right now), GB2, Fishmaster1 and his boys (Great guy,even though he called us all scumbags! ) 
Having a brain fart now, can't think of any other names presently. Oh well.

It was good to the the regulars again, Jeff, (Irowlikethat) Adam, Mooch, Ben, PaulR & family (Thanks to him, his family was kind enough to trudge back to the parking lot and haul back to camp another big EZ-up which when set up helped to keep many dry from the rain.)  Thanks again PaulR & family for that!

  Andy supplied the 500' of rope used to tie up FnC tent city.  Over at the cook tent, it was a friggin sauna inside.  One just had to get past the deepfryer smell inside!   All 500' was used during the making of tent city.
That deep fryer was certainly indrustrial strength!  It was a bad day for some fish that night!

I think that pretty much covers the weekend from my point of view.  I'll get my photos up soon.

Oh yeah, the compition between the water boiler thing-a-ma-jigs was way cool!  the one Eric had I do thing won! (Big copper thing Vs the stainless steel looking one.)

Troy

Wife packed me a little bottle of "Colmans" mustard,

That was yours?  I slathered my (late) dawg with it and loved it!  I was wondering who brought the horseradish mustard.

And I think you mean Andy, not Tony.

Thanks I edited it to fix that.

BTW Eric what/where did you get that water boiler thingamajiggy?

www.thermette.com

Sounds like nobody had a good time
Thanks all for the report and photos!
Can't wait for the EPIC Video
Looking forward to meeting some STORMTROOPERS at GS III
How bad did the WIND get?
 Gail Force?
 no wait, isn't she a porn actor?

I'm guessing there were some gusts up to 30 mph, maybe more.  As I began to tear down my tent it finally gave up the ghost and started to tear and flap...

Even though my Drifter was lighter coming out, the wind flipped it every time it went broadside...

it was so bad when I left that I actually went halfway to the launch backwards, paddling to keep the bows into the wind and waves.  That worked well, but was very tedious....

Sounds like a great get-together and a lot of fun for everyone!  Glad to hear the weather didn't spoil the event.

What an adventure! I survived.
I'd like to thank the Academy, especially Mooch & Frank for hosting an epic Del Valle Fish N Chill -
Chill Factor: Extremely High!

It was great to experience the legendary abundance of food at NCKA events. Special thanks to Andy & crew for the marathon deep fry! Also, thanks to the chili makers & Al'sHobie...for the chicken satay.
And sweetening the bitterness of Saturday night's hurricane, thanks go to the smore fixins brought to us by Eric (I think) and special credit goes to Chris who provided the child labor!

And now, the award for best performance of the event goes to TOADIE for his special appearance in the Guitarzan production of Mooch Gets Served! 

Sorry, no pics from me; didn't even take out my camera - it's not waterproof.

Thanks everybody, lookin' forward to the next fish & chill, hopefully with more fish & less chill!

Aaron

That hot mustard was damn good!

Ok here goes some picturres!

 Me just arrived
 Eric B trying Mooches SUP
 Mooch showing him how it's supposed to be padled



More kayaks
Few more kayaks
Chillin, calm before the storm, Al, Adam, Eric and Bella



Pyromaster Frank Starting the fire early thankfully.
The pile of firewood
Eric's thermett.  It kicked butt! The thing was to watch!



More chillin, Mooch, Ben, Eric, and I think Fishing jay (Sorry if I got you wrong)
Indrustrial strength deep fryer!
Burner



Friday nite follies I got a spiderman fishin pole.
Mooch gettin a massage.
Storm prep.




My OB with new handle and fully rigged.
Few more kayaks.
Mooch sporting the latest in FnC camp ware.





Casulity of the hurricane force winds Saturday night, my chair ended up in the fire pit.
Ben "Kite flying" his tent! It was about 7' up before I got the shot!
Headed back to marina



ChuckE a little worried about the water in his kayak, he made it back with no porblems.

Check,"Fishing Events and Tournments" for more information on this event. Thanks Frank

Looks like another awesome trip was had by all! Way to go guys and gals. All I can say is...one of these days. My best memories have come from stormy trips like the one everyone got to experience this weekend. Wish I was there. Great idea with the charity and loving the themed fishing pole/contest.

Ray