A couple days of rain and moderating temps have lessened the smoke so it’s time for one more trip to put a wrap on the season. Once again, the neighborhood turkeys are there to see me off
Nice to actually see the sky again
Fires in the Park are still going strong, though; here’s the one at Paola, just outside on the southern flank
Clear sailing at the pass
Still a few spots open at the campground; base camp established so it’s time to go fishing. Lots of trico spinners flying around but by the time I get rigged up that’s pretty much over so I head for a hopper/dropper spot
She could show me a thing or two about fishing
But I manage to stumble across some brown fish anyway
of which I have none, and they definitely don’t want the spinner; finally find something approximate (a greased softhackle)
Which finds it’s way in front of one stupid fish
Next few days it’s chasing heads/bankfeeders in the morning during the spinner fall
Hoppers in the afternoon, and trying to coax them into eating the wrong flies in the evening (mostly softhackles). The caddis are very active but I can’t seem to find too many fish looking up for them, or I’m just timing it wrong (don’t seem to be on the same schedule as the emergence in Aug)
Weeds are present, but manageable, until the last morning when every fish I hook burrows in like a muskrat; 6x tippet, while necessary = popoffs
Time to leave the flooded parking lot and head for some different water. Get the trailer set up again and enjoy the view (every time I step out for a photo, the mosquitos take a pint of blood)
Next morning I take a quick spin around the grounds; cruising for protein
Interrupt a Merlin eating breakfast (sorry for the crappy windshield pic; forgot to turn the flash off and everything smeared)
I’m guessing either a Wilson’s warbler or Common Yellowthroat (many sighted this morning)
Back thru the big gap
Stiffy at Two Med (with respects to Ivan Doig)
Nearly t-bone a black bear coming around a corner, luckily his brakes were in good working order. Decide to take a little rest and explore the possibilities
Speck
A bit cool and they’re not jumping at everything I throw; this works as well as anything
