Back at it today. I wet waded because the water was shallow and it was a hot day (checked water temp BTW- 67 deg). Anyway, I've always been as handy with knots as any sailor. This blood knot thing, though, has me seeing red. I can't get one to hold between my leader & tippet. Last time out, I threw up my hands and tied my flies to the end of my leader. Today, I used a surgeon's knot after a couple more failed attempts and remembering seeing it somewhere for a tippet knot. I haven't figured out a good way to hold 2 twisted running ends very well, and when I do finally get it, it pulls right out of one side or the other. It sounds like the most basic of all fly knots, but I just can't get the hang of it. Any advice?

So back to the wet wading thing. Where I was, the shallow parts I mostly walked in were just below my knees. I kept feeling something biting me. It got worse, so I looked to see what was eating my calves for lunch. It was a bunch of little metallic green bugs, that seemed to be just under the surface of the stream. I actually have a couple of flies like that, but I'm not sure what they are. All I know is that they REALLY bite!!! And they're quick. I never could grab one.

Sooo... trip report. I decided to try some terrestrial stuff since there were lots of them there, and it was the middle of the day. Did grasshoppers and ants mostly. Threw some caddis, but wasn't expecting much in the middle of the day. Finished off with an odd green woolly bugger that I picked up on the way up. Scared up a 20"+ fish out of the weeds by the bank, and saw a couple swimming in the rocks, but no bites (other than the little green devils). My black lab puppy came out to help a couple times, which definitely didn't improve my chances any.

I learned some new things, and found 2 flies in a bush. And we had a good family outing, so it still goes on the books as a good day. The second time the puppy came out to see me, I quit fishing and played fetch with him. Yup, good day.

Steve.