I recently discovered a trout that lives two trees up from the dead one. He's in a perfect lie protected on one side by overhanging brush and on the other by a fallen tree. It's a deep slot with a natural funnel for food. The only way to get him is with a downstream cast and to feed line for about thirty feet. I've missed him twice on other trips but swung by to have another go on my walk out last evening.
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| Two Trees Trout |
I missed him this time too. Not even a sniff at my fly though he started rising to something else. It took me a moment to decode what was going on. While I was working out my approach, a very nice Sulphur hatch started coming off. It's my favorite hatch. I love those magical yellow flies. The trout do too.
Below the fallen tree, in the tail of the pool, trout were on the Sulphurs so I tied on a Quigley and walked down to the riffle separating this pool from the next.
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| Spinners everywhere! |
When I got to the riffle not only was I pleased to see half a dozen trout on the surface but also the biggest spinner fall I've ever seen on this stream; probably a late batch of Hendricksons. And in the pool below there were another half dozen fish rising to the fallen spinners. Such a bounty of angling opportunity! I was momentarily stunned into inaction. And then I fished upstream for a bit.
I managed three trout pretty quickly, one a stunning little brookie who slipped away before the shutter clicked, and while I was unhooking the third trout, a stout Brown, the hatch shut off. No rising fish.
But there were still plenty of egg laden spinners in the air so I tied on a #14 Rusty Spinner and went downstream and enjoyed about ten minutes of good fishing before total darkness; three trout to hand.
It's rare that I'm on the stream when the bugs are just right. Like many of you I only fish when I can and when the call comes that "this is running" or "that is hatching" I'm usually too deep in something else that I can't break away.
Last night, on a whim, it all worked out. Magical.
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| Rusty Spinner Victim |
You'll get him sooner or later. I have faith.
ReplyDeleteMark
If my meetings end at a reasonable moment this evening I'm going to try again. Stay tuned.
DeleteI tried again this evening. No luck. Thought I hooked him but it was only a ten inch fish. Senor Two Trees is larger.
DeleteIt's nice when it all comes together. And even nicer when your there.
ReplyDeleteAmen.
DeleteWhims. Who knew?
ReplyDeleteMe.
As the great man said: Study to Be Whimsical.
Glad you hit it right on The Best Trout Stream in The World.
You know, it is a damn fine stream. Got two more fat ones (like the one you hooked upstream) this evening in that long run but still haven't hooked Senor Two Trees.
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