Adventure Sunday

 Adventure Sunday

4/28/24

   Sometimes I just got to adventure away from the crowds. Away from any easy roadside access or stocked trout dumps. I'll never know what I'll find? Maybe a pod of unmolested trout? Maybe one more colorful hold over trout from years before that will give me a wild ride?

 I started fishing where I saw a golden trout the other day. I tried for a few minutes but he didn't want anything I had to offer. It was if there was a sign posted, ' Do not disturb!'. I did catch a couple of rainbows on a Woolly Bugger though.

 

 It was a gray sky gloomy day. The brightness of the sun wasn't over the hillside treetops just yet but with the looming gray sky I wasn't sure I'd actually see the sun. Maybe only a glow within gaps of the clouds? The water felt warmer than the last few days. Probably because the overnight temps were no less than 45 degrees. There was a report of possibly 60+ today but possible rain and even a thunderstorm in some areas. There was a feel and look of possible rain so I did wear my fishing rain jacket and dressed warm in the chilly morning.

 On the way, wading down beyond the calmer water, I did catch a few trout on a bugger but there were a few trout breaking the water surface. 

  Lately, the last few days, trout have been breaking the water surface sporadically as if taking emergers. There have been a few small caddis flying around but nothing major. Being there were a few trout within my casting range I decided to try and pick'm off. I picked a small elk hair caddis from my fly patch and knotted it on 6x tippet. They didn't want the caddis on the surface but when it submerged, near the end of the drift, they whacked it as though it was going to get away. It took me a couple of misses to realize what they were doing. Anytime my caddis submerged and I saw a swirl on the surface I'd pull the line back quickly and set the hook. This amounted to 3 netted and a couple on and offs after fighting with them.

 

 

With no more rising I clipped off the 6x and retied on 5x.

 I was far down from camp and the road was above at a distance. I figured not too many fishermen ventured down this far. Maybe a canoe or a kayaker now or then but maybe not fishing. The first wide section of creek was shallow riffling water but looking towards the far bank looked like a deeper run. I casted the bugger towards the far bank and let it drift into the deeper wavy pocket. Wham, a trout grabbed the bugger like it was the first meal after being stranded on a desert island. He hit it so hard I'm sure he set the hook on himself! Cautiously I got him up through the the oncoming fast current and netted him.

 After the second trout grabbed the bugger in the same manner I knew I found a gold mine in rainbow trout form. 2 down and I was sure there were more to follow. 

 It wasn't every cast I caught a trout but every drift through kept me prepared. It was like I was giving out free samples of chocolate fudge at a wine tasting event!

 Trout after trout whacked the bugger till the palmered feather came undone and the chenille body was ripped showing the lead wraps around the hook shank. I clipped it off and tied on another. "They liked the new one as much as the old one!" 

 

 It took a while before they quit biting or they all had sore lips.

  I continued on wading and casting the bugger down creek hoping those trout I hooked didn't starve the rest of the day. I know after going to the dentist to get a tooth pulled or a cavity filled I don't feel like chewing or eating anytime soon!

 When I got back to camp there were more trout rising. I just couldn't be satisfied with today's catch so far so I went back out and caught a few more on dries. This time they were sipping anything on the surface floating their way. 

~doubletaper