1st Dan Black Belt In Bow-fu

[PlayDoh]

We I've been fishing a couple times a week for the past bit and starting to finally read the water well enough to know where the fish are, for now at least. As evidence I almost stepped on a nice 14"'er who was using my wake for a feeding lie. He slid sideways to avoid me, but didn't 'Flee' since I was moving slowly.

 

About the same time my heart rate was beginning to level out, it came back and used a rock 3-4 feet in front of me. 30 seconds later it quickly rose to the surface to take something, then just as it got to the bottom it did it again, just as quick. That almost triggered my "fight or flight", cause it was so close. It looked like its fin edges were white, like a Bull-trout or a Dolly, but I'm sure that was just an illusion.

 

If you've ever played poker, and your sitting with the 'Nut' (best hand), and the stakes are high, thats the exact feeling I had. My Heart was racing, and my fingertips were tingling. I had to do my best mime impression, and cast with only my wrist, which amazingly didn't bother it.

 

Now I'm the "Grass is greener on the other side", type who's always convinced the fish are just out of reach. Needless to say my 3' casting skills are weak, although I did put quite a few right past it, yet I never did catch a glimpse of the flies right in front of the trout. The water was about knee deep, and we were on the inside of a turn in some 1/3rd full flow force.

 

I sat there for over half an hour until I snagged something a few feet behind it, and had to eventually yoink it out, which spooked my close friend away. I was almost relieved it was getting tiring just being a statue with an overdose of adrenaline still in my veins. lol.

 

Later in the day I was again surrounded by a dozen >12" trout, who were jumping almost a foot clear of the surface at times. They were feeding on these almost white/green bugs who flew like a humming bird, with their bodies vertical. They could land on the surface and take off again, and they could almost hover in place. Definitely not Caddis, cause they were out as well. I'm sure I'll find out what it was. Their rear legs folded like a hopper also.

 

I landed one little guy, but I had half a dozen on while I was using a small dry. Oddly I thought, that I got most of the takes on the swing of the dry, and since I didn't have floatant on the fly I wondered if it was still on the surface.

 

Anyways, I'm on my way to Bow River Ninja status and I'm 100% better then I was at approaching and working a run. Now that I'm more aware of where the fish actually are, its much easier.

 

Tight Lines.

[EdB]

Great job man. You'll get him next time. Kids are back in school tommorrow so Ed had time to fish again. We should hook up.