On September 12 the Brazos River Air Boat club - BRAB - will be taking a group of wounded veterans fishing on the Brazos below Whitney. They are providing transportation, via their airboats, up and down the river so that the wounded veterans can get out and fly fish. This is a joint effort between BRAB and North Texas Healing Waters. BRAB is furnishing the boats, the PFDs, and food and drinks.

If you're out fishing on that stretch of river that day and see an airboat, there's a 90% chance it will be taking a wounded/recovering veteran on a fishing trip of a life time. Give those men and women a wave as they go by! Not that one finger wave either - not this time...

I didn't start off as much of a fan of air boats. Over time I'd gotten used to them, then later on I noticed that I had more bites right after one went by and started to sort of kind of like them a bit. But now, with them doing this for our wounded veterans I'm a big fan.

No pun was actually intended, but it's not a bad pun.

( I like the pun to ).

Same here, generally have not been a "fan", more to do with the actions of the operators I witnessed rather than the machine itself. But if anything would sway me this certainly does.

I forgot to mention that this is to be the first of an annual event. The BRAB are putting on a feast for the veterans at the end of the day as well. Next year they are talking about getting a couple of bands to put on a show, probably at the Bosque Resort there at the dam, and channeling the funds into North Texas Healing Waters so that even more veterans can get to go fly fishing.

Today I was fishing and it was good at first but then it slowed way down. I went a long time without a bite and then three airboats went by. As the waves started rocking the water where my fly was I had a hit - a bass about 20". I tell you those things make the fish bite, it's happened to me too many times for it to be coincidence.

I think the wave action stirs the bottom a bit, it is shallow water after all. That must kick some food up from the rocks and gravel, little bugs or whatever. That must set off a brief feeding flurry. Or so my theory goes.