Home front kick off

High winds nuked any thoughts entertained of spending time on big water searching for Steelbows. Wisdom is purchased by youth. John Hayes had came up and was ready to air some line. The upper river is a nice place to be at ANY time, so that was the plan.

It felt great to be back on this stretch.. just like coming home. I started out with a big twin winged cone-head Madonna. Water still quite cool / cold so swung some defined pools, slack water seams with soft strips in the mix. I did get one good grab but felt like a change regardless. That's kind of uncommon for me, don't often change unless there's an obvious need to. Like breaking off on a snag or your boat partners are getting significantly more interest. Anyway, I went with black, a color I don't choose as often as a guy should because of it's low visibility. I like to track my fly in and around structure whenever possible. Yellow has been a solid go too.

Playing around with some different single hand spey casts was as much direct result of the calander and my state of mind as necessary. It often is though so good to keep these skills in tune and build upon them. Coming down a nice little soft water pocket pool on about fourth swing.. fly is tracking perfect. BLAM.. Blasted and connected to a tail walking Brown in 1/2 seconds time! He was one of those special fish that register a lasting impression. Hard charger, jumped hard two more times then was landed. All roads merged as one and things were perfect at that moment in time.

Yesterday: spent six hours with the long rod standing in cold rain with WIND about two hours by car downstream from this spot. My hopes were high. Saw one chrome beauty of the 10 pound class roll in the surface even with me, about 60' out.. water I'd just swam the fly through a few minutes prior. Not long after I felt life force up through the line.. things and timing felt right so I swung -and missed- my solitary opportunity of the day. I'm blaming that one on the new "Connect Core" runner from RIO.. that additional feel screwed me ..lol..

Attention! delayed arrivals. ETA unknown..

Mother nature fooled all once again. The 'false summer' of early - mid March stalled.. into a looong extended COLD spring. Lack of precipitation has had the expected result.

 Conditions were set up perfectly for a favorite trib early in the third month. With the unexpected heat wave at same time I was caught up with instant work concerns and the narrow window closed before I could make it. History repeats itself all to often.

A little over a week later I was fortunate enough to find a couple fish on a different trib. Postponing my annual B-Day fishing due to conditions paid off with a dime bright fresh in fish followed by a supreme 24" Brown Trout. Those were the only takes over a long day.. my good fortune continues to replay as day dreams while awaiting the next solid head shaking connection.

Friday 04-03-15 was not it. What it was though was a great day showing a good fishing friend one of my special reaches of water, high up on a connected trib. Plenty of snow yet in the woods and evaporating with the first rays of morning sun created an aura you could taste and feel. Dense cedar flats combined with hardwood ridges makes for a nice atmosphere. Ours were the first tracks in many places. The river was surprisingly high with a little stain. Good fortune from a few years of decent water has restored the ground table supply. When I first fished this trib you could only cross at very specific points and you'd better not stub your toe. Usually there was a beaver stake or two stationed near by in the shape of a perfect wading staff. You picked one up and crossed, then left it handy on the other bank. It's been several years since wading this water due a couple reasons I wont delve into here. I've missed it. It was nostalgic looking over the bank on the run a good friend and I were gifted with our first hook-up  ever. A big Buck that shell shocked us with casual display of raw power.. and promptly severed the fragile connection we had only just established with barely enough time to recognize before it was gone. It was enough. We were hooked. Pic from 04-03-15 below