Trout time..

My fishing so far has been tough! Had a grande fish to cast over a few nights ago. He was in a very tough slackwater lie tight to the bank under a bush. When my cast shot in and momentarily entangled the bush, then dropped to the surface like a dandelion seed drifting perfectly over him [with me holding my breath] and no take, I thought I might not get this fish which dissapointingly proved true. He was a good one.

Finally got into my first decent trout last eve, which started off tough because the repellant was forgotten. Not good. I had killed five to six mosqitos with one light swat many times when the no-seeums made the scene. I can't take those and was considering leaving when I thought I heard an oar clunk. 10 minutes later a guide I know from Traverse City rounded the bend and saved my evening. His client had taken a 24" Brown on the strip earlier.. quite a feat anytime let alone in the bright sun conditions. Fish were tough, random rises, and I'm pretty sure weren't taking from the surface. Cast sparingly over a nice trout for close to an hour that was head and tailing only 25' quartering upstream. As time went by the water became blanketed with smallish rusty spinners [Sulphers, I assume] Earlier I had a #12 biot spinner tied on as there were some big Quill Gordons in the air. Changed to a #16 and was losing faith in it when he finally rose on it. I was taken by surprise and swung on him like you were setting on a Muskie boatside! I waited a bit while cursing myself for such a rookie reaction.. he never rose again. I eased downstream as it was getting dark and lucked into a pod of fish working the spinners. One was right under the leading edge of a half submerged sweeper. Using the old shoot the cast in deep then draw it out to the line you need he was on with third shot. This rod is new to me, an 8' 2wt Redington DFR 3pc breaking my postal scales at a whopping 2 ounce flat. Very nice quick little rod, feels powerfull with fast reaction but bends nice with a fish on. The fish turned out to be smaller than I thought he might be but I was still well pleased.. lucky to even land him with all the wood he was in and tore around initially. When he moved out from that he went upstream hard tearing line off ..very cool.. but a mistake on his part, he was landed soon after. Picture of health, a good solid well fed fish of 15" - 16"