Another fine day.....

Well I was out at it again Wednesday seeing how the weather was being so nice to this fellow. The stream was a lot wider with the snow melt but still very clear. The snow along the banks still proved to be a tough walk. This time though I wore my waders which enabled me to walk in the stream and that led to further exploration. Being able to try some new areas I went to work quickly. The fly on the line was a bomber and fingers crossed that today would bring a dry fly trout to hand. I worked the stream as well as the fly in every way I know trying to draw a strike, but to no avail. Still it was a sweet sight to see a dry fly floating on a ice free stream this March morning.

I reeled in the bomber and decided to fish wet flies and perhaps a streamer. As I was changing flies I caught some movement to the right of where I was standing. My eyes scanned the stream and along the banks. Suddenly this little fellow pops out from the water near a snow bank. He seemed to happy although a bit confused at the fact I was moving in on his pool he must have said this guy has no stream etiquette. So he said I'm leaving.

He could be the reason the trout were on high alert and not willing to race for the fly. I told myself that was true so as not to feel bad about not catching fish. But in reality that was not why. The air was warm which caused the snow to melt which made the water colder. Several times and places along the stream I took the water temp, the readings were from the mid thirties to one at 40. Cold enough to keep things slow.

I continued on enjoying this beautiful day. I went from pool to pool. I came upon this very interesting piece of water. There was a shallow riffle going into a slow deep undercut. Trout hideout for sure. I drifted the fly towards the bank and let it continue through the pool. I continued this several times letting the fly stop and just hang in the slow current. It seemed that no one was home, or was not hungry.

Before moving on I said to myself why not drift the fly through the shallow riffle, could be a fish there and if not so be it. So I backed up some and sent the fly down and across. Several more times I worked the riffle and suddenly a fish hit. Moments later I slipped my hand in the water a lifted a beautiful brook trout from the stream. It looked a bit pale, and on the thin side but none the less in strong fighting condition. A quick photo and off to find something better to eat.

I continued to fish for another hour and a half and was never to feel a fish take. A beautiful day for sure.

Check the photo of the day. A new one each day from the archives.