Break out the flyrods

After a long off season it was good to roll over a fly again. Still, if fish numbers was the gauge of success then today wasn't a good day. On all other accounts it was pretty good. After the cold weather we've had it got pretty close to above freezing today and with the morning sun there was definitely plenty of melting going on, and I think that was our problem. Despite that there were some midges coming off pretty steadily and the fish were somewhat taking notice. As always seems to be the case when my fingers are numb, I chose to forgo the thin tippet and tiny flies and concentrate on nymphs, wets and streamers. Still, I'll have to go out and specifically target a fish with my freshly tied midges in the next few days if I can find the time (a guy does have to do some work).

It was actually my buddy Ted that suggested this trip and we slipped out from our labs a bit after 10am (I started at 5:30am to get the necessary stuff done) and headed for the Whitewater valley. Our first destination was Beaver Creek and specifically a long, still hole that holds a substantial pod of spooky, wily brown trout. When we arrived the fish were there but had their heads down and looked to be sulking. No amount of coaxing would convince them to take a fly. We tried a few of the other better pools in the creek before deciding the wild, wily brown trout of beaver creek weren't going to go for us and it was time for a location change.

Ted working a pool on Beaver Creek

We figured we stood a better chance of having stocked (hatchery raised) rainbow trout slam our flies so headed up to a common stocking area on the North Branch of the Whitewater River. Much of the slower pools were still locked up in ice but the flowing sections looked good. We fished hard for quite some time but came up next to short. One little dinker brownie came to hand on a black woolly bugger. At this point the melt water was pouring into the stream fast and dropping stream temperatures, all but destroying our chances. Still, it was pleasant up in the valley and although I've never caught masses of trout (with the exception of the odd encounter with messes of rainbows a day or two after the stocking truck has come in) in this branch, the pleasant surroundings compensates pretty well.

A couple of shots of Ted fishing the North Branch of Whitewater River


After a brief foray down on the South Branch (the bridge and the road we wanted to fish was closed) we headed back up to the middle branch, right in the middle of Whitewater State Park. This stretch always has good numbers of fish but can be a little persnickity. On arrival a few fish were rising to midges but quickly spooked and stayed down with the first mistake I made getting into position to make a far enough cast to get to the risers. Ted and I both plumbed the short stretch thoroughly and finally I managed a small brownie on a clouser. Ted also managed to convince one to sip a brassie.

Far from a monster but still a brown trout


Still, the weather was quite nice and it was good to get out. Winter is never a productive time to fish (trout are cold-blooded after all) but today was a touch worse than average. Hopefully some better days will be just around the corner.