Lunch Hour Chronicles

[KeatonsDad]

I tried a new spot this morning and it paid off quite nicely. I had landed a couple nice fish on the morning and had a close encounter with a coyote. I was wading down the middle of the river hitting both banks with my hopper pattern when I caught a slight movement in the willows to my left. I stood still as I spied a patch of fur moving through the brush. It was no more than 15 feet from me when it edged up to the bank and started lapping the water. I slowly pulled my camera out of my pocket but by the time I got it out the 'yote was done drinking and was heading back through the brush. I did catch this fleeting pic that somewhat shows just how close he was to me.




I landed another fish after this and was working my way back up to the truck when I saw a nose poke up along the near bank. I threw my hopper up above the rise and watched it bob in the choppy water. Suddenly it was sucked down but I missed the hookset. I launched another cast into the area immediately and again watched the fly drift through where the last take had been. It passed untouched and had drifted another 15 feet down towards me when I was thinking of reloading for another pass. Suddenly the fly was once again taken down. I set and found lip this time. At first it didn't seem like that special of a fish but as the fish came nearer it decided to go in overdrive. I knew I was into one of the nicer fish I have caught in a while. Finally I landed a nice Brown that stretched just beyond the 21 inch mark on my net. Not an absolute monster but one of the nicer fish I have caught this year.

[MontanaMoose]

Nice pix KD, i like that net shot in particular. Ok, C&R on the browns. I stopped at a 'little' river in ID once that had that rule. The big browns were there and though i could not cast far enough and when they had begun to rise it turned dark so I left as the place was 'day use' only, vowing to go back there someday. That was...gosh...'87 or '88. Been too long since i've fished that spot marked in yellow in the fish and game book. Neat place though....it could not be seen from the hiway and when on the 'little' river, i could hear trucks hitting the jake and i'd turn around to see and could only see the tops of the cabs. No one was there all day 'cept me and the lab.

Oops, sidetracked on a north south hiway !

MontanaMoose

[KeatonsDad]

In your face!


Spotty at best.


Um....you've got something on your lip there.

[kglissmeyer]

Ben, that is one cool looking brownie. Well done. Man, I'm jealous with all the time you're getting on the water, but I won't hold it against you, just glad someone's getting out regularly!

Kelly.

[KeatonsDad]

The small fish of the day


The big fish of the day (almost positive it is the same fish as one that broke me off at the net two days ago, very spotted fish, much like the glimpse I got of the fish on Monday. And it was in the exact same hole)


In my opinion the best pictures of Flies are while they are lodged in the jaw of a hungry fish.


Final fish of the morning. Heavy fish, and for some reason it too looks familiar. I am in the process of looking back at some photos as we speak.

[crook33]

Yeah, those fish look very familiar to me also. I'm positive i've seen them IN MY DREAMS !!!!

Great job as usual.

Rich

[Tyro]

So, have you started naming the fish yet?

Also, on a previous post you mentioned that you had written down what you caught the fish on the previous month. I'm concerned for your mental health, that is quite the detailed fishing log. I tried to keep a log and it generally has entries like "skunked" or "caught a few".

Maybe that's the reason you are catching the fish and I am enjoying the weather?

[...EZ...]

Id like to take a bite out of them brownies! I must say, i like the photography and coloring on some of those pics. Can i ask, how big is this creek your fishing?

[KeatonsDad]

Tyro,

I am indeed a fishing log nerd. I have kept a pretty detailed log on every outing for the last three and a half years hoping some information would come in useful to me down the road. It has helped me out on more than one occasion and is fun to go back and look at to compare outings from the same time of year. I know...I am a total basket case.

EZ,
Anytime you want to head over to this side of the state you are welcome to hit the river with me. It flows most of the summer around 200 cfs and on average I would say it runs 50-60 or so feet across. I am not real good at judging distances though so take it for what it's worth. A very nice stream for wading purposes though.

[kglissmeyer]

Id like to take a bite out of them brownies! I must say, i like the photography and coloring on some of those pics. Can i ask, how big is this creek your fishing?

EZ, talk to me - Big Poppa.