Just a May Day

Just a May Day

5/17/25

 

 After Thursday night heavy rain, Friday morning the creek started to rise and by noon was muddying up. Not a dark chocolate color but more of a light roast coffee color. Needless to say it was picky fishing by noon Friday and afterwards. The rainy high water must have washed plenty of food down for the fish to feed generously. By Saturday morning it had cleared up some and level dropped some but the creek was still on the high side.

 Because of what I saw Friday I was going to head to a smaller mountain stream that maybe wasn’t as bad on Saturday. When I drove down towards Cross Fork Saturday, in the morning, I was surprised there were no vehicles parked beside the road on a prime fishing spot that I’ve caught many a trout in the Delayed Harvest Area. There have been 2 to 3 vehicles there each day previously so I never stopped to fish. I couldn’t hold back. I pulled in and assembled my 7’ 6” Powell rod. This section of Kettle isn’t very wide but has plenty of backcasting obstacles to contend with. Being that the water was high I figured I wouldn’t be able to wade out very far so a shorter rod, to avoid the brush behind, was my better choice.

 For the past three days I had worn a rain jacket but it had never rained thou it was predicted. By 1:00 it had gotten so sunny and warm I was sweating. This morning I had already switched my fly boxes and gadgets into my fly vest even though there was a chance of rain. It was already quite warm by 8:30 am. I could have put my fold up pocket rain jacket in my back pouch of my vest but I didn’t.

 Down at the creek the water was a bit higher than I expected. Instead of being shin deep where I usually cross it was pretty near knee level. It had cleared up more than yesterday. I knotted on a Woolly Bugger and proceeded to fish down to the section I’v caught many a trout in. Once there I looked the water over.

 Big waves, over hidden boulders, on the far side was a no brainer. Mid creek was rolling waves but with added weight should get my offerings down. Near me, to maybe a couple of yards, the water slow and deep but most likely not holding trout. I might be able to get a trout to follow my bugger into the no wake zone but I’ll have to see. Other than that the section was a straight stretch of water quite a ways before it starts to shallow before a bend. The sun wasn’t over the far side tree cover so visibility wasn’t helping the situation.

 I covered the short stretch of wavy water with the bugger like a lawn pro spraying the area with weed killer. Without a bite I switched to nymph fishing. I’m not a pro by any means though I do catch a trout now and then trying it. To me nymph fishing is like kinda of practice shooting hoops in the driveway against an aging backboard and chipped orange rim with no net. Just something to pass the time till I get called to dinner. It’s not like I’ll get to be on a college basketball squad but like I said it’s something to pass the time until something better feels right.

 I fished the same area dragging bottom without a strike until I snagged up and lost both nymphs and split shot. I nipped off the curly end and went back to what I do best, that’s bugger fishing!

 I figured I’d just fish my way down creek casting the bugger. If I catch something it would be a bonus in the stained water and fast current. Down creek, after the riffles, there was slower water on the far side of the creek. It flowed steady under two leafy trees that overhung the creek about 15 yards from each other. I made a cast just shy of the first tree branch into the slower current and let it drift under the tree branches. 3/4 of the drift, as my fly line was about to pull the bugger in an arc into the faster current, a fish grabbed the bugger like a bandit hauling off with the bank loot. I set the hook and as the 4 weight Powell rod arced toward the take I could tell it wasn’t a lightweight! It pulled line off the spool like it was hurrying to some hide out with the loot. I looked at the Double L. Bean spool as it was spinning around like a wagon wheel on a stagecoach fleeing from bandits. I cranked the drag a bit tighter but didn’t have much of an effect. As fly line slid through my fingers I’de pinch it now and then just to see if I could slow the fish down. Once he got so far down he stopped with vicious head shakes. With those tug and yanks I figured I had a good hook set or it would of come out by now. I think he knew it too. 

 So the battle was on like a cowboy, after roping a steer, trying to get it to come along peacefully. The trout wasn’t in any hurry to give up and battled beneath with heavy yanks and tugs. It took awhile on the 7’6” 4 weight but I finally had him coming my way. Nearer me I let him swim upstream before letting him swim back into my net. What a nice browny! If I did’t catch another trout in this section it was still worth the effort. 

 Well, that was the excitement for the day. I caught a couple more trout down creek on buggers but still no dry fly action. On the way back I started to nymph fish just for the heck of it to try my skills. Believe it or not I hooked up with a trout. When I netted him he grabbed the March Brown stonefly. I guess practice works out sometimes for the best. 

 It started to sprinkle after that catch. When it started to rain a little harder I decided to call it quits and head for the truck. If it doesn’t rain too hard over night the water should clear up nicely. Maybe the sun will come out and I’ll see some hatches.

Till then Sunday will be another adventure!

~doubletaper