I picked up my phone to check who I had received a text from. To my pleasant surprise it was my good buddy Gus. He was checking to see if I would be free later in the afternoon to do a bit of fishing. He and I so rarely have time to fish together, so it is always great to have his company on the water.
Since there was not much time for travel, we kept things local. This was an easy decision to make considering the "local" waters have been fishing pretty well the past little while.
We decided to begin by walking a short stretch of water that had received little to no pressure. Tandem streamer rigs fit the bill and we began probing the water for hungry cuts. About a third of the way into the stretch I was beginning to have second thoughts as to the area. Then we came to a deeper slow pool. I ran my black articulated dagwood-sized meal through the run and picked up one medium sized guy. Gus, who was fishing right next to me, then laid a tight cast up against a partly submerged tree. He began retrieving his cutty candy/black leech combo and a few strips in BAM! I looked over to see an awesome fish rolling in the depths, clearly displeased that Gus had so ninja-ly stuck him.
He brought the great looking specimen to hand and we only managed two glamor shots before the fish decided he was done. The angle the picture was taken doesn't quite do him justice.
Gus is a great buddy. We go back quite a ways and it is always nice to spend time with him. Since I can remember he has always had the nickname, "Goose." I thought it fitting this trip. Every fisherman that enjoys having a companion along appreciates a good wingman (see Top Gun if you are lost in the meaning). You know, the kind of guy you can fish right next to without having to think about the fact that you are fishing next to them. Fishing should be all about the natural, and if it's not, well you should go find yourself a Goose.
Fat Lip, Fat Cutty. This guy lost the fight. |
Here's a quick ode to streamers: It has become difficult to want to give them up. They have become my go-to, and are quite addictive. All it takes is one good experience with them, and then you have the desire to try again and again. Just ask Josh or Shane! The payoff is LARGE. Sometimes in quantity, but usually in quality.
After hitting that short stretch and doing away with the skunk, we decided to move on.
This is the skunk. Can you see it? (We did not put it there, promise. We did away with a proverbial skunk.) |
We could not have timed it better. Bugs were popping off everywhere. It was the kind of hatch where you get nervous talking without your buff on, because you just might swallow a couple dozen.
There were gray drakes, caddis, and little goldens coming off everywhere! We fished till the sun dipped behind the mountains. No real noteworthy fish were caught, but we managed plenty on the surface. The diversity was satisfying. The beautiful sunset, with the greens, blues, yellows, and orange hues everywhere was stunning. It was almost more fun to watch the calm golden river meander by while various sized trout slowly sipped bugs off the surface than to fish ... almost.
The temperatures are hot on a regular basis now and it appears the runoff is pretty much done. I do believe summer is officially here. By way of tidbit news, I received a long package in the mail yesterday. It was a sad deal when my trusty TICR TFO 8wt broke. Thank you TFO, for your great customer service. I can't wait to break this new rod in!