Nestucca 2/3 (the day Fred saved my dogs life)

The morning started out as any morning would've while on vacation with Fred....hungover.  We went to the bait shop setting up our shuttle for the day with the expectations of a great day on the river.  With the information I had on this days float, I was expecting another mellow day with one class 2 rapid.  The lady at the bait shop said to just stay far left through the chute and I would avoid the rocks and that the rest of the float was straight forward.  We dropped the boat in and rowed across stream to set up the spinning rod (something we found in the cabin to drift along the side of the boat while we floated to our  next targeted water).  Fred threw the set up across stream and let it drift down.  I threw the set up to let it drift down, but I threw it into the overhanging tree's across stream instead.  I rowed us across and postioned the boat so that Fred could get the line untangled and we could move on down though the rapids.  While Fred was dealing with the line (with the rapids right below us), Waylon decided he was going to jump out of the boat.  So he jumped out of the boat and started going downstream.  I may be exagerating (due to adrenaline and lack of hydration at the time), but here's how I remember it..........."Fred!  Grab Waylon!!!"...  "Oh Shit!".....Fred drops the rod, I drop the oars to grab the rod and open the spool so the rod doesn't fall out of the boat, the spey rods that are hanging out of the back of the boat tangle in the shorline weeds and start coming out of the boat, I grab those then the oars again, Fred grabs Waylon by the loose skin on the neck and pulls him back into the boat, I row us back upstream and Fred untangles the line.  The shittiest 20 seconds of my life!  Phew!   We roll into the rapid and I stay far left.   DING!  Hit a rock.  The next 2.1 miles was crazy.  It took us 3 hours to float it involving a lot of scouting and even walking the boat through a section.  This was not the mellow float I was ready for, but the most technical rockiness of my time so far (all hungover).  After we made it through the craziness and found the first strecth of water we could fish.....of coarse, someone was fishing it.  The gentleman just shook his head when we told him we put in at Fourth Bridge expecting spey water.  The next crazy thing came 1 1/2 hours later.  We came to an island and all the water was pushing right.  Left looked ok, but rather shallow.  I chose right.  We came around the bend and Fred screams..."Pull left! Pull left!".  Thank god there was a soft piece of water to the left, otherwise we would've gone straight into a tree that had fallen across the channel sinking the boat for sure!  Did I mention this was the most stressful float of my life?  I'm wrapping this up.....we floated for an entire day, maybe fished an hour, and had an awesome meal that included more bourbon, more wine, more beer and grilled tuna belly with asian flare veggies and I don't remember going to bed (vacation with Fred yo).

you owe him your life!!!!!