[overbrook]

Good times for sure!!

DD and Streamer...thanks for bossin' and comin up with the idea for such a great weekend!

Thanks also to Drew and Pansyman for all the firewood

It was great seeing some of the usual faces DD,Streamer,FFNC,Latrucha,Christensenand Fleming13....and meeting and putting screennames to a few more...the whole cherokee crew,Pansyman,Benflyfishin,Gqualls,Bkatz and all the grandads and others that came....but the best was seeing all the kids running around just plain havin fun!

Awesome spaghetti and meatballs fri. night and pulled pork sat. night.....some real good venison sausage! thanks to Ben for breakfast sat. morning....(bob...sorry i missed KP duty )

some highlights...
pink and purple fly fishing! Thanks goes out to Smokey for crafting Junebug one really cool flyrod!
Tying flies with freinds
Junebugs "baby fish"
catchin pond trout with christensen and the girls...Thanks for lunch Aaron!
cornholin!
rocks splashin in the stream and firesticks lightin up the night
sleepin to the sound of rushing water....and raindrops sat.night
Bobs flinstone chair...were gonna get stone wheels for that thing!
the name game
ghost stories
granpas comin along
lotsa big bugs and "lobsters"
smiles...lots and lots of smiles

Junebugs baby fish


pond trout






big bugs









lobsters



A split second before the "no touch release"



and unfortunately a split second after...



Bobs flinstone chair



Pansyman borrowing the "chair"



Dads cornholin...



kids cornholin...



the name game....







collectin lobsters



lots and lots of smiles...





thanks everyone!! Is it next year yet??

[Devinsdad]

What a great weekend. First, thank you to everyone who came and participated. You and your children made this event a success.

I am working on another video at Devin's request, it should be up shortly.

Big Thanks go to my buddy Streamer for helping with the event and herding all the cats and helping with the little details. You worked your azz off too.

Big thank you to Pim and Bkatz for the good eats on Friday, to Ben for Breakfast, And to Christensen for the bodacious BBQ.

Tom thanks for the drinks and snacks, that was above and beyond the call.

Carter and Drew Thank you for the wood, saved the day!!!

McStreamers, thank you for your eager help around camp.

Jule and I just sat for a few minutes Saturday evening watching all the interactions going on around the campfire, it was quite impressive to see the interactions and genuine expressions of joy on the attendees faces.


Things I'll remember...

Bunches of GREAT kids

David slayin 'em at the camp pool... way to go, you might teach your daddy to fish yet

Crawdads and bugs and critters by the bowl full

Kids in the creek

Nathaniel's awesome job with the fire..preformed your duties flawlessly young man.

5 bags of marshmellows gone in..... 15 minutes

A tired little boy who was asleep before his head hit the pillow Saturday night.

How much all the kids had grown.

My friend sending me away for a few hours peace... Thank you....

Being Ghillie to the "tree snagger" and watching him catchin some fish... that was good to see..... ( you know who you are )

Treks to the top of the Mountain

Rain falling on the tent as I was dozing off

"Bears" in the tent next door Saturday night.... sorry Jason.....

Everyone caught a fish......

$15 for 3 days food
$20 for a campsite
??? for gasoline

A weekend like this with your kid.....PRICELESS Cant wait til next year........

[Devinsdad]

The vid...

[BKatz]

What a GREAT trip! I can't thank those enough that helped put this trip together or contributed to it's success. David had a great time and was really upset when he learned we had to leave and we weren't going to climb the hill again, catch more fish or hunt for crawdads. Even the weather held out for us and I didn't have to take down a wet camper. Special thanks to Bob & Jule for being camp hosts, Carter for wood and the awesome deer jerky and sausage, Aaron for the incredible smokey BBQ and the rest of you for just being a heck of a lot of fun to be around. Really looking forward to next year.

Katz

[Phil]

Thanks for the reports, guys. What a joy to see the pics of happy kids and proud dads!

[fleming13]

Thanks to Bob and Jule for strawbossin this one, fine job guys!
Thanks to everyone who brought up supplies to make the weekend run smoothly. I missed Fri dinner but Sat was fantastic. Such a fine use of venison and pork! Got a few tying pointers from Tom and Jule. I did not get to fish as much as I hoped, Lauren was more interested in running around camp. She had a blast and that is the most important thing. Did manage a Helton Creek slam- rainbow, brook, and horney head. Caught more crawdads than trout! Got to teach my daughter more wildflowers and some entomology. "Dad can we catch more crawdads?" My "date" with the big trout Sun morning did not go quite as planned, she was home but did not want to come out and play. Things I remember.

-Lauren asking when we are going fishing 3 times within an hour of getting up there.
-Listening to my daughter tell me "Dad I'm really freaked out" for an hour Sat night.
-About 2 am waking to "Dad I hear a Bear growling." " No honey it's just Bob snoring."
-Lauren telling me" That boy said there were bears over there. but he is really hyper, I think he had too many marshmallows!"
-Introducing Lauren to "Bob the Bear" Sun Morning. I found out why she would not talk to you Sun Bob. She told my wife she would not talk to you because you kept her up all night.
-Giving up some of my secrets to the D. Go get em fellas!
-Great venison sausage and BBQ. And the all you can eat junkfood table.
-Holy tangeld hair batman! My wife did not like that one.
-Huh, what did you say, what, you sound terrible- not being able to hardly talk stunk! cough cough grunt groan


Had a fantastic time meeting new folks and old friends. Nice to put the faces to the names. Great bunch of dads and kids in attendance. Lauren and I were very upset that it had to come to an end. She wants to come back next year, have to make it all 3 days though!

Wildflowers


Wake Robin Trillium


Trilliums




CRAWDADS!!!!!!!!!!


Net Buddy and some fish









Wet wading



Camp







Throw all the rocks you can before we leave.



All you can eat junk food table!



Ready to do it again!

[flyguy]

THANKS DD and Jule for putting on such an awesome Trip with such a GREAT cause(children smiling and memorable memories) and have it turn out BEAUTIFUL(there wasn't any doubt in my mind)
My Daughter catching her FIRST Trout on a Fly Rod---priceless!!
AWESOME pics and videos everyone!!!
My son/daughter ONLY talk about "when are we going fishing again with the same group",to his Mother,Day Care,friends,and family.We have create a "Monster"..they say
Thanks for the coffee-Jule,waders-Ben(I owe you one),Pansy-venison/firewood,and everyones help to make it a success.
The Cherokee Group thanks you ALL!!!!
Hopefully my son-Carson didn't upset toooo many of you
It was good to finally put "new" faces with their screen names and see "old" faces still kickin'
Can't wait till the next one....or....maybe we need to get a "Fall Dads/Kids Weekend" started??? Once a year is toooo long

[BKatz]

Bob,
Are you planning to post the group photo?

Katz

[Devinsdad]

here ya go

[gqualls]

I echo much of all that's been said. Nathaniel and I had an absolute blast and he was very thrilled before we ever went that we were the fire "boss". I enjoyed seeing some of the folks I met last year as well as meeting some of the new guys this year. I've not really had a chance to post much since the trip but I have had alot to think about. I've thought alot about how blessed I am to be able to get away for three days with my son in an environment like Helton Creek. I think of how fortunate I am to meet the people I met this past weekend and leave feeling like I've known them far longer than 2-3 days. The weekend was riddled with "special moments" for me .... nothing spectacular or sensational, but surely things I won't soon forget. For me, I enjoyed hearing the kid's laughter throughout the day and as we sat around the fire. I enjoyed seeing those guys who tied flies patiently explaining the nuances and subtleties to those who were wanting to learn something new. I enjoyed hearing the perpetual sound of rushing water ( why doesn't that ever get old?). I enjoyed seeing the joy in my son as he hung out with all the other kids. I got to experience something this past weekend that the majority of people will never get to experience and I won't take that for granted. In the end, maybe I can summarize the trip by saying it just had a good "feel" to it. Special thanks to all of you who made it happen, and for all of you who brought food, drinks, and snacks. Thanks to all who took the time and made the sacrifice of spending the weekend with your kids at a little campground in Ashe Co.; without you it wouldn't have been the same. Until we do it again ...... take care.

Greg