Feb 12-13: Heat Wave

Finally some warmer weather!  Highs in the 30s both Saturday and Sunday made for ice-free rod guides and enjoyable fishing.  The previous weekend I talked to a fellow fly fisherman on a different stream who was just getting into fly-fishing.  I gave him a call Friday night to see if he was interested in hitting the streams together on Saturday.  He was all for it. 

                                Here's Henry hooked into his first fish on a fly rod. 

 

Colorful Brown Trout successfully brought to hand.

 

Now it was my turn.  I'm not used to having somebody there to snap photos that I'm actually in.  I guess it's time to start paying attention to my form.  

 

Little Brownie in no time.  When fishing, the camera subtracts ten pounds (from the fish).

 

After a good morning of fishing, we decided it was time to head into Rochester to get some food, beers, and watch some rugby.  We ended up staying downtown until around midnight.  I'd never been to Rochester before, so it was fun to see something new.  Henry let me crash at his studio.  I put my air mattress down on the kitchen floor and climbed into my sleeping bag.  It sure beat the snow cave.  7 a.m came pretty early, but I was excited to get out again.   Henry had other plans for Sunday, so I was flying solo again. 

Sorry to say Henry, but it was a bad day to sleep in.

 

The fish were feeding in the deep holes right when I arrived around 7:30 a.m.  I picked up 6 or 7 in just over an hour.

 

  As the bite began to slow in the first hole I was fishing, I began moving my indicator further up the leader.  Working the depths of the deep blue hole, I watched my indicator pause for just a second.  I pulled up on the rod and immediately felt strong resistance. This fish didn't come rushing right up to the surface, and the head-shakes where slower and more powerful.   I mentally reminded myself not to horse this one.  He stayed low and tried to stay in the strong current.  I quickly crossed the river, stomping towards some slack water where I hoped to have a better shot at landing the fish.  The water was extremely clear, and I caught a glimpse of the fish while it was still probably 6 feet down.  It looked to me to have a legitimate shot at being a 20 inch brown.  The fight seemed to drag on, and I was constantly afraid I was going to lose this fish.  However, once I pulled his head into the slack water, he came to me quite quickly.  In one fluid motion I pulled the fish towards me, then right up onto an ice shelf.  It wasn't until he was on the ice that I saw this ugly face.  

After a little research, I've concluded that this is my Personal Best Silver Redhorse!  Redhorse Identification.  Imagine my elation!  

Time to head upstream.  The rising temperatures had triggered midge and small stone fly activity.  Risers could be spotted in smaller looking runs.  The fish appeared to be dispersing throughout the stream instead of hunkered down in the deep holes.

Any entomologists out there care to enlighten me?

I was able to pull fish out of a variety of water types and on various flies.  I caught one on an olive wooly-bugger under an indicator.   Another came on a black stone fly nymph imitation.  Most were still caught on midge larvae and emergers.

I went on to have a little fun with the underwater setting on my camera.  This next picture gives you the "Trout's Eye View".

I could have fished all day, as the fish were biting and the weather was great.  But I had a long drive ahead of me, and not much could have made the day better than it already was.