Fickle, maddening, enticing, alluring…..the big river. This river gives up spectacular days of fishing for large trout in good numbers—Gold Medal in places. But most of those days seem to occur when I’m not around–often in late June. By the time I can get out, the fish have seen tons of fishermen, the major hatches are done, and even though it is August you still have to share the river with others. Yesterday, in a one mile stretch I had to work around 6 other flyfishers. I wonder why I even bother with so many small, back country streams calling where I can fish all day without seeing a soul. Well there is a reason….
First run encountered from the trail in—shouldn’t be any fish here since who knows how many others have fished it this morning…
Third cast on a grasshopper.
Maybe I’ve hit the mother lode….but no. Only hooked up three times over the next 2 hours with many flashes and attempts.
I moved on downstream and fished near one of the campgrounds. After a while I was able to find a stretch of stream between the various anglers and decided to switch to a streamer. Good choice.
After about 10 minutes of trying some deep pools, I drifted the streamer where the tail of a riffle swept up under a grassy bank. This rainbow hit hard and immediately took to the air. After a half a dozen leaps while hoping that I didn’t screw up I was able to land this really beautiful fish. Really shouldn’t have tried to hold on for a photo with one hand but I managed.
Of course she was only teasing. I didn’t have another strike over the next hour and a half.
Yep, there’s a reason to put up with the fickleness of big river.