Besides great fly fishing, watching U2's and other planes regardless of what what was going on taking off from or landing at Beale was part of the day.
I went up the week after 9/11 to get away from the tv. It was a typical beautiful early Indian Summer day. The difference was the high plane traffic going into and out of Beale.
A little after about 3 pm, a young man wearing an Air Force Jumpsuit and camo Airforce hat drove up an asked if I was Dave.
At first I was afraid that something had happened at home. He said no problem at home he was at Beale for a day or two until heading a long way west. He said the owner of the ranch had to him to look me up to show him what flies to use and how to use them.
So I geared up his rod and reel with a floating line and a long tippet and attached a Lower Yuba top/dry fly and a dropper fly going underwater at the same time. Then, I showed him how to see the fish feeding on the top and the silver flashes under the surface.
He was a good caster and soon was hooking fish and sometimes doubles.
Later, he explained to me the U2's were watching our dams, bridges and railroads across N. Ca. in case of terrorists. He was a Capt. and a pilot for the Air Force. His wife and family were back east. I replied the Cuban Missile Crisis and how I was away from my wife and our families waiting for a ship heading towards Cuba about 37 years ago before 9/11. That, we had survived that and would survive 9/11.
Then, I gave him my flies for the lower Yuba, more leaders and tippets and told him to keep the fly line. I let him have my drive home lunch to fish until dark. We saluted each other.
Since I had sons and nephews his age, I probably embarassed him. I gave him a hug and told him, "There are old pilots, there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots". We told each other good bye and good fishing.