I'll write up my report on my computer, and then I'll post pictures from my phone.
Friday, May 23
On Friday after work, I went to one of my favorite streams. I went to a section of stream that I don't love because it is lacking in habitat, but I fish it occasionally. I hooked one wild brown trout. It had no water, and I had lamented this stream's lack of water in a previous post. I figured since we just received an inch of rain the day or so prior that the stream would be bank full; I was wrong. My highlight of this trip was stumbling upon a fawn that must have just been born. It was in the stream, and it looked so pathetic. I slowly backed away and left the fawn and I moved back upstream.
Saturday, May 24
My brother-in-law, Clayton, has been an aspiring fly fisherman for years now, but he doesn't go often. He has also historically experienced awful fishing when we go out, but that all changed for him on this weekend. We braved the rain and went to one of my favorite small streams. He found lots of action, and he missed probably about fifteen to twenty fish, but he landed about ten or so. He really got a lot of practice casting, controlling his bobber drifts, and mending his line. I barely fished, but I caught four or so. I was mainly just guiding him. I only made casts when he got stuck in a tree or blew the location or whatever.
Sunday, May 25
I headed back out with my brother-in-law to a much different style of stream, and once again, he got some good practice in. Much like the previous day, I only fished when he was stuck or blew a hole; I mostly was acting as a guide. He landed five or six trout, and all were wild browns except for one which was a stockie bow. I landed the best fish of the day, however, and mine came on streamers. He caught one on streamers, too, and it was good practice for him because that was the first time he had really cast streamers to trout. All in all, it was a great outing, and he really got some good experience and actually was able to practice fighting fish and unhooking them instead of just casting.
Monday, May 26
I snuck away from my woman's family's place and headed to a nearby creek. This one has left me torn so many times, but what I found this time was very surprising. I found excellent water and tons of willing fish. I casted a light dun colored Wulff fly the entire time, and I never changed flies. There was a decent green drake hatch happening, and the fish were definitely looking up. This section of the stream actually impressed me quite a bit, and I caught about equal numbers of wild browns and brooks. I had probably forty or fifty fish try to eat my dry, and I landed probably fifteen or twenty, and I hooked many, but sometimes it's hard to keep those little fish pinned on barbless dry fly hooks. My biggest fish was around 11" or 12", but I didn't land it; it slipped the hook. I don't know if it was a brook or a brown, but due to its size, a brown is more likely.
Either way, what a great holiday weekend of fishing. I haven't been trout fishing much, and this was just what I needed, and it also what my brother-in-law needed to instill some confidence in his fishing skills and abilities.
Friday, May 23
On Friday after work, I went to one of my favorite streams. I went to a section of stream that I don't love because it is lacking in habitat, but I fish it occasionally. I hooked one wild brown trout. It had no water, and I had lamented this stream's lack of water in a previous post. I figured since we just received an inch of rain the day or so prior that the stream would be bank full; I was wrong. My highlight of this trip was stumbling upon a fawn that must have just been born. It was in the stream, and it looked so pathetic. I slowly backed away and left the fawn and I moved back upstream.
Saturday, May 24
My brother-in-law, Clayton, has been an aspiring fly fisherman for years now, but he doesn't go often. He has also historically experienced awful fishing when we go out, but that all changed for him on this weekend. We braved the rain and went to one of my favorite small streams. He found lots of action, and he missed probably about fifteen to twenty fish, but he landed about ten or so. He really got a lot of practice casting, controlling his bobber drifts, and mending his line. I barely fished, but I caught four or so. I was mainly just guiding him. I only made casts when he got stuck in a tree or blew the location or whatever.
Sunday, May 25
I headed back out with my brother-in-law to a much different style of stream, and once again, he got some good practice in. Much like the previous day, I only fished when he was stuck or blew a hole; I mostly was acting as a guide. He landed five or six trout, and all were wild browns except for one which was a stockie bow. I landed the best fish of the day, however, and mine came on streamers. He caught one on streamers, too, and it was good practice for him because that was the first time he had really cast streamers to trout. All in all, it was a great outing, and he really got some good experience and actually was able to practice fighting fish and unhooking them instead of just casting.
Monday, May 26
I snuck away from my woman's family's place and headed to a nearby creek. This one has left me torn so many times, but what I found this time was very surprising. I found excellent water and tons of willing fish. I casted a light dun colored Wulff fly the entire time, and I never changed flies. There was a decent green drake hatch happening, and the fish were definitely looking up. This section of the stream actually impressed me quite a bit, and I caught about equal numbers of wild browns and brooks. I had probably forty or fifty fish try to eat my dry, and I landed probably fifteen or twenty, and I hooked many, but sometimes it's hard to keep those little fish pinned on barbless dry fly hooks. My biggest fish was around 11" or 12", but I didn't land it; it slipped the hook. I don't know if it was a brook or a brown, but due to its size, a brown is more likely.
Either way, what a great holiday weekend of fishing. I haven't been trout fishing much, and this was just what I needed, and it also what my brother-in-law needed to instill some confidence in his fishing skills and abilities.
