Okay so with that out in the open it is time for me so share my most recent fishing trip. Last week about Tuesday I was day dreaming at work about fly fishing for trout. The day dream was vivd and very clear in where I wanted to fish right down the sport on the river. I came home and started to tie some flies that I needed. By Friday I had most of the flies I though would be best for this spot, and after a short trip to Bass Pro for a trout leader that I needed badly, I was about ready to go. Friday night our power went out so Sarah and I had time to talk, but this meant that I did not tie any extra flies for the morning so my boxes had about 3 or 4 of each fly I would need.
Saturday Sarah had to work so when she go up early I was right there with her. She was getting into her work cloths and I was putting on my fishing shirt, and my cut off camo shorts. I gave her a kiss and sent her on her way to work, then grabbed my gear and an apple and was out the door 5 minutes later. I got to the river soon after sunrise, and was in the water within a half hour of getting to the parking lot. This trip was bitter sweet in many ways, and it started very early. It was a perfect day out, light cloud cover, high 80s, and a slight breeze, but as soon as I had water up to my mid section I noticed some moisture coming in my waders. The water was not rushing in, but also was not just damp. The spot it was coming in also was a little annoying because as a guy it hit a spot that 50ish degree water really feels uncomfortable. So anytime I was in waist high water it was like water torture for just below my waist.
After my pants had a good soaking I barely noticed the leak any more plus I had missed a couple trout and this had me thinking about anything but comfort. Once I set the hook and landed the first one I was relieved, because I had been skunked a lot lately and needed a couple good fish. This first one I was hoping would open the flood gates to more, and it did but along with the fish I also ran into more bad luck.
First of the day
Number two was bigger
The third was maybe on of the prettier rainbows I've caught all year, and bigger still.
Number three however was where my second big problem hit. I caught this guy in the second or third hole of the day and bent over to take some video with my flip camera(which has a cool underwater case) and I dunked my point and shoot camera for the second week in a row! So the rest of the pictures on this post are from my phone. After the dunking of my camera I pulled a couple more fish from some other holes I know very well. As I moved from one hole to another I was slipping on what have to be the slipperiest rock in any river I have ever been in. All that slipping was getting me closer to a hole which has treated me well earlier this year.
These three are taken with my phone in a much sunnier spot which is why everything looks like a reflector
On my why to this spot I slipped on a rock in shallow water and got a gallon of water down the front of my waders. Now once at the spot as you can see from the pictures above I got into some great fish. The best fish of the day brought to hand was actually brought to net, in the picture above. As for the best fish not brought to hand, it was two casts after landing the biggest of the day. I was fishing a bead head hairs ear nymph dropper off a grass hopper I picked up cheap in some fly shop somewhere years ago.
The hopper was pretty beat up and I thought was useless, but on a drift I must have made at this point 20 time I saw a shadow come from this deep clear hole. It was a BIG trout and it nailed the hopper, and with one whip of its tail was on the bottom of the hole with ther fly most likely barely in its mouth. I fought the fish for a few brief moments, but it had been such a long time since I had a fish of any real size on the end of a 6X leader that I played the situation all wrong. The line broke and I was left standing there thinking where has my luck gone.
Well on my way back I stopped at two more holes where I continued to miss fish on a streamer that I always do well on, but could not seal the deal with this day for some reason. Then in the last hole I had another monster fish chase and then swipe at my streamer but it missed or maybe just caught the tail of the fly. This was it two fish that either one of them could have been the biggest fish I have ever caught, and if not the biggest ever then definitely the biggest in the past 5 years. I was finished so I slipped my way along the bank headed in the direction of my truck. At one point I slipped and hit a dead tree branch, and immediately heard the sound of neoprene ripping. It was a hole big enough to fit at least a dime though, or maybe 3 or 4 stacked up. Water was pouring in and I still needed to cross the river at this point.
After a long walk back to the truck sloshing the entire walk. I was putting my gear in the tool box when I noticed a tool missing from my fishing gear. It was a tool my brother gave me for christmas and I use it a lot. The tool was for holding small flies as you tie them to your line, and that was it. My trip was over and I had done everything short of breaking my rod or drowning, but I just could not help but be in a good mood for the luck I had and the great day it turned out to be. I lost and broke some gear that is important and expensive but I caught some great fish and got to feel the power of a real big trout which some people will never feel or understand. Hopefully one of these weeks I will be fishing and actually get a picture of a big one. I am sure when that day finally comes it will be well worth it. Well Sarah and Brian thanks for pushing me to tell this may latest story, I will try to be better about this blogging thing I promise.
-Bruce
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