Does it Get Any Better?

Once again I visited my early season love and once again was rewarded with a better day of fishing than most anglers could conjure up in their imagination.  Each time I pull into the parking area I expect my secret will be out and there will be three cars and I'll have to go someplace else.  It hasn't happened yet, as I pulled up to an empty parking area once again.  I hiked right into the good area, bypassing a spot that holds 1 good fish 50% of the time that I usually take 5 minutes to fish.  It started slow and I began to think that perhaps the good fishing was winding down on this stream.  It is amazing that in just 9 days it has gone from off color and spilling over it's banks to gin clear and 18" below the banks.  That's the beauty of low gradient streams though, one day you feel like it will be dirty for a month and a week later it's in perfect shape. 

I got a couple of fish and thought it would probably be a good day, just a bit slower than it has been.  With the caddis, pmds, and small green stoneflies I was seeing I started wondering if I should start fishing some different bugs.  Then I caught this beautiful male Rainbow.


The worms in the net were regurgitated

 After I released this fish I counted all the items it regurgitated in the net.  The result was 13 worms and 1 leech.  The interesting thing is I've been fishing a tandem set up of a leech and a worm with the ratio of hookups between them about the same, 12 fish on the worm for each fish on the leech. 

With confirmation that switching flies wasn't the answer I started working the water a bit faster, assuming now that I would probably just need to cover more water to find the willing fish.  The strategy paid off pretty quickly with plenty of fish being hooked up and most actually being landed. 

I made the decision I would venture further upstream than I ever have in the past.  The willows get thicker and visibility of the surrounding terrain drops dramatically in the upper portion of the stream.  This has kept me from fishing it, particularly by myself, as the possibility of running into a bear or moose goes up pretty drastically in this area.  I also wasn't sure I'd even find many fish in the upper reaches as the assumption is that none of the quality fish are full time residents and the further I would hike from the lake the less likely I'd find good fish. 

As I worked my way up I continued to hook up.  In fact I hooked up a heavy fish that I got a glimpse of as it was on for a minute or so, but never saw it in it's glory as it got off.  I was optimistic at this point and when I turned the bend I saw this perfect looking water.

At times I'll do stupid stuff like make a 50' cast when I could cover the same water from a different angle with a 30' cast.  This time I consciously moved myself into the best position to get a drift under the willows on the right.  Before casting I tightened my drag as I believed there could be a large fish under the willow and if I didn't get it out of there quickly I'd get broken off in a hurry.  I made one perfect cast and the take was exactly where it was supposed to be.  I might have been able to set on this with my eyes closed as it was one of those moments where things went exactly how I envisioned them from the placement of the cast to the very spot where the fish took.  Immediately a football shaped Brown exploded out of the water 2'.  I turned the fish out from the willows and got her on the reel and watched her explode out of the water another time.  It's at these moments when I question the choice of the 3wt rod I've been nymphing with exclusively of late.  However, I was able to get her turned and ultimately get her to the net. 

22" 4lb Brown

That's the second Brown of 22" and 4lbs or better I've landed in this stream in the past 10 days.  Keep in mind this is not only not a fertile tailwater, it isn't even a stream that is considered to be worth spending time on.  I had the entire stream to myself yesterday once again. 

As I hiked out I couldn't help but think, how fortunate I am to have days like this.  There are rivers in the area that get written about in books and magazines that people spend thousands of dollars to come fish that won't deliver as many 16" fish in a summer of fishing them hard as I caught yesterday.  Forget about 4-5lb Browns, contrary to the lore, very few of those get caught in freestones in Montana in a summer at all.  The best part though, is that I had this gem all to myself, as is usually the case.  If I were a billionaire I couldn't improve on that, it's like I have my own private fishery full of big, beautiful, powerful fish and don't have to share it with anyone.