Sat, 02 Jun 2007
I swear, I think I’m getting better each time I go out. I still haven’t caught a fish, but tonight everything was starting to come together.
It was a hot day today and I knew that going out during the day would be useless. So I waited until evening, had dinner at about 6, and got to the Bear river about 6:45. There was still plenty of light so I hiked into my favorite spot and sat on a rock about 10 feet above the river and about 25 feet back. This particular spot is just down stream from several small rapids with 3 to 5 foot drops. Then it settles into a deep slow moving pool about 40 feet across and 100 yards long. The bottom of the pool is covered with large boulders with deep, dark holes between them. As I rigged up a new 6x tippet and a parachute Adams I kept an eye on the river. As the sun slowly set the shadow of the western ridge started to cover the pool.
I sat and watched. Not moving, just enjoying the sound of the water and of the geese flying overhead.
Just a minute or so after the shadow covered the whole pool I saw my first splash. I waited and saw 3 distinct areas where fish were rising. I remembered how you folks told me that when fish are feeding they get very territorial. Well I could see that tonight as the rises for a particular fish were happening within about a 4 foot circle. After a few more minutes there were 5 distinct circles and each fish was staying pretty much in his own area. It looked like every one of the circles was just above a gap between the underwater boulders. I moved downstream so I could watch and cast back upstream.
I’ll tell you, when I get my waders I’m going to be a real fish hunter. I was scoping out where I could enter the water and safely stand to cast. But right now I’m limited to roll casting from the shore as there’s heavy brush and trees on both side of the river. Knowing I’d be roll casting a lot I borrowed my wifes rod. My rig has a 5 weight level line on it and hers has a 5 weight double taper. I can roll cast the DT better than the level line. The problem is that they’re booth fairly short rods. Only 7 to 8 feet. So I’m not getting a whole lot of leverage on my roll cast.
I just couldn’t get my roll cast out far enough to present to the fish. In fact, I could tell that my attempts had spooked them and they stopped rising near me. I moved upstream and tried again.
My second spot was even worse. I could almost get my roll cast out to the rising fish, but the current on the far side of the river was faster than the current near me. So the 20 feet of line coming directly from me would just sit there while the fly would get carried downstream and then start to drag quickly. But man! If I had waders I could see exactly where I’d stand and cast at a 45 degree angle up stream and across to the spot where the fish were rising. I just couldn’t get there from my side of the river.
I moved upstream again.
Now I’m at the same spot where I was sitting when I started the evening. There’s a big rock between me and the fish so they can’t see me. But I’m surrounded by bushes and trees. In fact, when I cast I’m standing partially under a tree and I only have a narrow gap for my rod. But this time I’m in a position where I can roll cast about 20 feet out and the current pulls my line and the fly downstream together. There’s a lane of current right down the middle of the river where everything is being carried and I can see two or three spots where trout are rising right in that current.
I flipped a parachute Adams out into the current and start mending my line. Man! It’s pulling line quickly and I have to make my mends nice and smooth to keep up. That’s not something I can practice in my yard. I had to learn to control my line or else my fly is water skiing.
On about the 5th cast I actually got a hit! I could see the splash as the trout hit the fly and the fly went under. I set the hook but I had let out too much slack in my line. So I pulled it back in and roll cast back into that current.
Two cast later I actually saw the wake of a fish as it swam hard right at my fly, but then it went down at the last moment. So close, so close.
It’s getting dark so I put a bright green strike indicator on my line so I could see what’s happening. I got in about a dozen more cast before it got too dark to see my indicator. I reeled in my line and took what seemed like my first deep breath in about an hour.
So this time I certainly got a strike. I think I’m learning to present the fly without drift a bit better each time I go out. AND, I came home with the same fly I started with. I didn’t lose any flies this time. (That’s the first time this has ever happened).
A buddy of mine down at “The Bent Rod” fly fishing shop in Auburn told me “You have to pay your dues first”. I can really see what he means. Each time I go out I’m feeling a little bit better. I’m getting closer to the fish. I’m learning, and I’m paying that price by just getting out there and trying and trying some more. But man oh man, when I present the fly properly and it drifts just right the fish really do react! And when I don’t drift it right the fish ignore it or they spook and go away. I have to learn to pay attention to the feedback I get from the fish telling me when I’m doing it right and when I’m not.
It’s bizarre, but even though I still haven’t caught a fish on a fly, this was the best trip yet! You’d think I’d come home frustrated from not catching anything again. But I’m not. I’m paying my dues and little by little, I’m getting paid back in experience and technique.
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