Lunch Hour Chronicles

[KeatonsDad]

Today was windy! Gusts are currently blasting through at 25-30 mph. It was a little less than that when I started but by the time I was done fishing it was blowing hard. I still had a little success. With the wind I pulled a cripple pattern out and had some immediate results.



Here is where he came from in one of the calmer moments the river had today:



Finally after fighting with the wind for another hour my main problem became picking my fly out on the surface when their were white caps rolling over it. Usually I can watch the area pretty close and set on any activity but picking out a fish's rise is also tough when the surface is so disturbed. I missed a couple fish with my favorite PMD pattern that I just didn't see until it was to late. Who knows how many takes I had that I just couldn't see. The bugs where still hatching and the fish were still rising despite the big waves rolling on the surface of the river. Finally I found a protected little pocked and a fish rising that I could actually get my fly to when I waited for just the right moment, like when the wind died down to 15 mph instead of 30. I punched it in above the dark shape but as soon as my fly hit the water up above the fish another fish nabbed it. Turns out it was a MONSTER rainbow. My first rainbow on this river in a long time. Did I mention it was a MONSTER. It leaped from the water landing right in the middle of where the fish I was really casting too had been lying and soon came to the net. Without further ado I present to you my MONSTER rainbow!



Really I have HUGE hands. Well that little bow had totally messed up my chance at the big guy. He was long gone. I decided it was time to pack up and get back to the office but as I waded out of the water I came across this guy that I think is a Slate Brown Dun.



Very big Mayfly after seeing #18-20 PMD's all day. About a #12 hook is what it would take to duplicate it's size. I don't know if these come off here as a strong enough hatch to really get the fish's attention but after straining to see a Tiny PMD in the waves all day it's sounding pretty good to try a bug that size on next time.

[MontanaMoose]

Good job KD, very nice brown and hey, nothing like some wind casting practice and look at the rewards. Ambitious little bow too. I like the fly pic a lot. Thanks for the great report.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

[Sasha]

Hey I know that spot!!!!!!

[kglissmeyer]

Excellent report, as usual. Keep 'em coming, friend.

Kelly.

[KeatonsDad]

When I pulled up to the river today this is what I found.



Cell phone photo doesn't do justice to the thickness or color of the chocolate milk that was flowing down the river channel.

One of my favorite runs:



So I headed upstream hoping to get above the gully that blew all this color down the river and sure enough the river cleared up in the last couple miles below the dam. Of course all the fishermen were congregated in this area as well but I did find a open flat that was full of rising fish. I nailed a couple nice fish on PMD's in my short time on the water. Of course my camera is at home charging. These fish were some of the fattest I have caught this year. They were healthy fish with some incredible coloration. It was a nice afternoon to spend on the water once again.

[Sasha]

If there are no pics it didn't happen




Just kidding It soundes like you had a fun short trip!!

[MontanaMoose]

Maybe it's miners KD !

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

[KeatonsDad]

Today a couple more miles of chocolate river had cleared up so there was about 4 miles of fishable river, but I still went up high near the dam and found yet another flat with some rising fish. I am really digging the type of spot and stalk fishing one can do on the big wide shallow flats there are on this river. It adds another element to the game. Stealth becomes crucial to success.

I saw a few PMD duns on the water when I arrived on the river so I started out with my PMD Sparkle Dun pattern. I was getting very few looks but I did find a fish willing to play the game before too long.





Nice way to start the hour. Then the rises seemed to shut down, and the fish I did find rising wouldn't sniff the PMD. Finally I put my nose to the water and found out why. While there were a few PMD's the prominent hatches where BWO's and midges, with a few big Callibaetis thrown in for good measure. I tied on a BWO Sparkle Dun with a CDC wing and went back to work.

I had seen a fish rising up under a willow tight to the bank a few minutes earlier so I worked around so the glare off the water was minimized and I could see clearly into the lie to see if I could spot him. Sure enough there was a nice Brown finning a few feet out from the brushy bank. I laid my first cast with the CDC Sparkle Dun perfectly a few feet above the visible fish. Not much can beat the anticipation of seeing a sighted fish turn towards your fly and slowly complete the deal with a big gulp. This fish was a nice one. Not extremely long but a nice fish with good shoulders on it.





I was satisfied, but it takes some discipline to pull yourself out of the water for the drive back to the office when the flat is still dimpled with ripples from rising snouts. This doesn't get old.

[JohnScott]

...This doesn't get old....

When someone tells me I'm having too much fun, I'm gonna say "HA - go look at Benji's thread if you want to see fun !!"

John

[MontanaMoose]

I did say that and yer right....but yer both havin' way too much fun !

Cheers,

MontanaMoose