Well, I know I have trips to log in that preceed today's timeline, but I've got to go ahead and get this one in before this one passes me up and details get fuzzy...
I took a new friend Chad out to fish this afternoon. He's never fly fished before and it's been a while since I've been out...so it was a time to get aquainted, hit the basics with the long rod, and hopefully put him on a trout. We were sort of limited on time and with the rain around we were in need of some compliant fish...I figured the "fishless river" was the place to go. The water was dubbed so by my buddy Mark "Varmit" as kind of a cheezy code for the river that's not really a secret, but most don't realize it as seasonal put and take fishery full of eager (okay, rediculously stupid and easy) fish. It's an ace up the sleeve, a secret stash sort of place that you really don't want to publicize. Sometimes there's some holdovers that can surprise you, but mostly the water gets too warm to maintain the trout population year round - but man, if it could, you'd have a tailwater that would rival the SoHo. This water is caddis soup. The hatches in the spring will be the best you'll find anywhere around here.
Anyhow, it was a drizzly morning that we were sure was going to blow off soon so we left the raincoats in the truck ...big mistake - don't you know- it'll only rained harder for the next hour or so when you're out there knee deep in the river. In the mean time, there were fish rising all over sporadically to some small olives, #22 or so and and figuring the action was on untill that rain hit harder and the fishing shut down for a while. So we worked on casting and mending and discussed the finer points of "if I were a trout, this is where I'd sit to eat" and so on. Chad was a quick learner and after getting the rain gear and the the weather subsided, he managed to stick a couple of fish on a PT. While they weren't brought to hand, he was able to feel the take and it was his first taste if of what very well be a new addiction.
Things were slow, couple of other guys on the water were not having the hand over fist action we all expect out of this section - it was beginning to live up to the cheezy codeword. But we then realized Marc and been out here the week before when they actually stocked as he quickly educated them to a sore lip degree. Thanks man, 'precciate ya...But as the rain did move off, the fish began to rise again. Going with the "throw anything as long as it's a caddis" mantra, we switched over to an olive X caddis....within a few casts, Chad had on his first fly caugt fish. I had my back turned at the time, but the unmistakable ziiip sound of a dry fly hookset and flopping of a broadside landing fish is music to my ears...it was a decent fish of about 10" and Chad's grin was just as wide. I was pysched, I was glad for him and it broke a- take- a- buddy- out- and- fish- but- they- don't- catch- but- I- do curse. After a several dustings later of the X caddis, Chad hooked into another nice fish and I think he was hooked as well - pun intended. I was content. By this time all was quiet on the river front people wise, the rain had lifted, the trout were active again and my buddy was catching fish - very few times you get that fleeting moment when you feel a though everything is centered in your universe.
We cleared out after a while longer and headed out to find a burger. It was a great time this afternoon. The fishless river, though not up to it's usual compliment - did live up to its name in more than one way...
