Plinking and a Grinning
5/31/24
It was a gorgeous morning out. Green leaf hardwood trees banked the mountain stream as far as I could see. The water looked peaceful with a streak of sunshine brightness down the center like a streak of lightning in a cloudy sky. The water was chilly as it flowed around my stance. The air was cool as I stood in the shade of the tall leafy trees that overshadowed the water. I held a cigar between my lips as I looked for the next rise.
I cast a caddis out on the riffling water and watch it drift into a pocket of slower current. A trout rises and sucks it in like it is just another caddis on the surface that isn’t ready for flight. Just another early meal that is easy for the taking. Then wham, I rear back the fly rod, the fly line and leader tighten and the water surface erupts like a mixer being turned on in a bowl of clear liquid and stirring up the bottom of the bowl. He takes off down creek shaking and jerking the line and leader disturbing the surface water as he races away. The 4 weight rod tip section bows, strenuously, as the trout swims in an arc downstream from me. The rod pressure forces him upstream and he swims into the oncoming current keeping his distance. I move the rod towards the bank and he swims up creek, passing me, and I get an eyeball on him. His tail swats trying to swim up creek further but the bowed rod and tight line, I hold tightly between my fingers, prevents him to swim any further. He spins and races pass me as I follow him with the raised rod not giving him any line. He turns again, from the pressure, and proceeds swimming up creek near enough to net. I let him swim upstream just in front of me as I lower my net into the water. I move the arcing rod behind me raising it as high as I can. He turns and reluctantly enters the net with tail swats and tussles in the confined space. A nice healthy brown trout lays in the net. My caddis dry fly piercing into the side of its mouth.
I grin as I release him and take the caddis imitation in my hand. I pat it dry first with my handkerchief and then dip it in a bottle of Top Ride. I shake the bottle and pull out the caddis and blow off the dust. I look out over the water and a trout raises in the distance a little across and down from me. I start a sidearm back cast avoiding the tall branches above me. As I false cast I pull line out calculating the distance needed. I forward cast the rod and the fly line loops outward above the water surface followed by the tapered leader, tippet and dry caddis. Just about at the end of the forward cast I twitch the rod tip back. The caddis imitation drops to the water surface along with slack S bends in the fly line. My caddis drifts drag free upon the subtle riffles and enters into the last rising trout feeding zone. It passes by untouched. As the fly line continues downstream the S bends start to straighten and the caddis drags across the water momentarily as I lift the rod and line off the water. I make another cast, in the same manner, out to the subtle riffles across creek. I again watch my imitation drift flawlessly into the feeding zone. This time I see a swirl and immediately rear the rod back and pull in line. The S bends on the surface straighten and rise off the surface. As the line straightens I feel the culprit on the other end resisting the back pulling pressure of the rod. He takes off down creek with my caddis as if he stole a piece of candy off a counter with a string attached. The rod bows downstream as the trout battles the resistance. Not being able to get loose he all of a sudden shoots up out of the water clearing the water surface. His maroon streaked side is noticeable against his silvery sides that sparkle like glitter from the sun rays. He twists and turns before dropping into the water. The line stays taunt and, I suppose feeling no better results, he gives a jarring head shake and darts upstream into the current. Out in front of me he breaks the surface and strenuously tugs the tightened line while air born. He plops back into the water, like a short piece of a fallen limb, and momentarily stops his commotion under the surface water. I pull the rod back letting him know I’m still here. He swims upstream and tries to gain ground by swimming towards the far bank but the resistance of the arcing rod prevents him from going any further. I feel his tugging within my hand hold around the cork grip and then it eases as he swims across creek towards me.
I raise the rod as I bring in line. He swims and stops just upstream from me facing into the current. I lower my net and pull the rod down creek and he turns into the net. A nice frisky rainbow wiggles in the net like a restless new born in a bassinet. I get the stuck hook off his lip and get a quick picture before releasing him. I grin!
Seeing no rises, within casting distance I blind cast outward watching my floating caddis.
A trout rises just a rod and a half length up in front of me. I take in line and casts upstream in front of him. He refuses the first drift. I let my caddis and line pass him and wait for my caddis to almost get to the end of the drift. I make, what I call a loop cast into the air. It’s like a roll cast out in front of me but I start with the rod almost horizontal, swing it downstream then bring it up as if making a half arcing circle with the rod tip out in front of me. This brings the fly line off the water and makes a big open loop in front of me followed by my caddis imitation. With a little more force I throw the complete line and leader upstream, over the water surface, while pointing the rod tip up creek. The caddis offering follows the big loop and falls to the water surface up from the rising trout. I watch my offering drift freely on the surface. I see a trout rise and turns towards my offering and quickly snaps at it before it drifts any further with the current. I, just as quick, raise the rod high while pulling in line and the line tightens once again. I grin, ‘Gotcha’! Another trout battles its way to the net.
That’s the way it went for the next couple of hours. I was picking them off like plinking crab apples off of branches with a pellet gun. I stood in one place puffing on cigars casting out onto the water surface in front of me. I made trout rise for no other apparent reason then to offer them a free meal. The ones I saw rise I teased them with an offering until they commit and take a bite like a persistent salesperson at a supermarket just about begging you to try a free sample.
While time passes I collect trout after trout taking my dry caddis offerings.
I’m in no hurry to leave the unmolested trout. It’s hard for me to believe there’s this many trout holding in a small area no bigger than 10 yards within the riffling water and pocket water this late in the season.
Rainbows and browns alike take my surface offerings like children taking tossed candy from a street parade.
Cars and trucks pass by, up on the dirt road, and leave me by myself. Not another fisherman in sight as if they may think I’m mining for gold in a dried up claim. I guess what they don’t know won’t hurt them.
By noon the heat of the day feels like it maybe reaching its peak. I feel the humid air within the shade of the trees as the heat from the sun weighs heavy on the water. No trout rises nor can I make any rise. I slowly wade down creek to shallower water to cross to my truck.
“One more” I think and hope for as I wade downstream stopping momentarily to cast. I conjure in my mind one more trout rising to my offering with a healthy slurp.
I make a cast outward and watch my caddis drift on the surface and it happens. I grin!!!
~doubletaper
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