So this past Friday, I find myself with a few hours to kill. The rain had just let up. I decided to head over to the local river and try some trout fishing. Let me say right off I am a true fly fishing beginner. I have been fishing twice with guides and a handful of times by myself...mostly last fall. I had fishied this river in the fall but only picked up a few scattered brookies. I bring my "new" elkhorn 8' 4wt.

I get to the water's edge and see some nymph casings on a few rocks. I tie on a pheasant tail nymph because a) it sort of looks like the casings b) I have a lot of confidence in this pattern and c) I tied it myself and wanted to try it out.

I wade into the stream and start fishing a stretch "pocket water"...I cast to the seams coming off boulders. I am using a palsa strike indicator and (4) #6 orvis non-toxic shots. I work the pools with a up and across technique. Forty minutes pass without a strike.

I move down stream to a slower section (a pool?). There are still boulders that break up the flow. I again start working the flow off the boulders. I work across the stream hitting all the likely spots....nothing....Then on the far bank I see a log lying in a downstream manner. It is close to the bank but there appear to be good water depth. After 6 casts one finally lands along side the log. It drifts about 5 ft and my indicator moves. I raise the rod and feel a nice resistence. The fish fights me for a few minutes as I bring it to the open water of the stream. I make (3) attempts to land it but without a net I have trouble....(this never hanppens with bass). The fish is a nice rainbow....probably a stocked fish. Needless to say it gets off. (Note to self...buy a net).

I work down the log to an area where the flwo is pinched between the log and a boudler. The nymph drifts just by the boulder and a trout aggressively strikes my indicator. Probing the spot two more times provides nothing.

Determined to work my way to the backside of the boulder, I move down stream and begin a down and across presentation to the "active" bank. As my fly swings I get a huge strike and I set the hook. The fish feels nice but it is off in 5 seconds.....Future casts produce another strike at the indicator. I move into position to get to the boulder fish and "splash" I take a little swim in the drink.

At this point my time is up and I must return home, thoroughly excited for my next time out.

My question is how do I improve....how did I lose the second fish so quickly?....my guess is I put to much pressure and didn't give enough line. How do I change my approach to get those aggressive fish?

Thanks,
Mike