Believe the snake is a black snake but didn't get close enough to make it's acquaintance. Loved that photo of the trout suspended in air! What clear water. Yesterdays visit didn't produce any snakes but it did provide a few more surprises to go along with the brookies. The small pool pictured below contained another 3wt., 6X line busting rainbow that nailed the Elk Hair Caddis, took off for the stone ledge at the head of the foam and just kept going. This was the pool below where the 16" rainbow came to hand on the previous trip so the natural assumption was it had moved down about five yards to this smaller water - NOT! Upon retying another caddis the third run through the long pool above produced another huge rainbow, probably the 16 incher from the previous outing again, and it too managed to get under a ledge and break off. Drats - 0 for 2. Re-tied with 5x tippet and moved up about fifty yards and tossed another Elk Hair into a small pool with a narrow run and WHAM! Believe this one to be a huge brookie but was only able to see about 3" to 4" of it's tail end when it broke water. It was trying to get under another ledge but I was able to work it out into some faster current and led it down into the next smaller pool. It too then went under a big rock and broke me off. ME - 0 fish - 3! Looks like the move to a larger tippet is in order or else the hunt is on for rock proof tippet. Was another beautiful day with water at 58 and temp in the high 70's. Sat on a nice cold rock in the shade with a breeze wafting some cool air by and ate my lunch. Bought a new fanny pack with two bottles and two compartments that hold lunch and snacks and my fly boxes. Have to load one bottle with orange juice to combat any diabetic low sugar spikes while climbing upstream cause it gets a little rugged for my 72 year old knees after a while. Folks have asked what happens if I get in trouble while out alone and I tell them my wife and son and a couple of others know where I'm going and not to worry. And, believe it or not most of the time my cellphone can reach out from the bottom of the gorge too. Besides, I tell them if it's time to "go" I'll go happy doing what I love. Can't get no better'n that!


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