The Low Road

Hatch? Who needs a hatch?  There ain't any anyway.  After days of pouring rain, just staring at the water between downpours, and dodging floods, it was time.  Its been, as far as I can remember, 25 years.  Prince nymphs in Saratoga, WY on the Platte.  Golden stones on the Encampment.  Yep, that was the year when I said enough was enough of that shit.  Never touched the stuff again.

Well, nothing like returning to some roots.  And I did it up proper, with a bobber and split shot!  I even used two flies, which has become in vogue since I last bobber fished.  A first for me.  Took a little while to get back in the groove, and I never really came close to that, but some big fish ate it every day.  These Beaverhead browns are plentiful, and big, and love to eat underneath.  After all, they've been telling me for years, "This ain't really a dry fly river."  Right.  But it sure ain't so far this year, though it has to be right around the corner.  It was flowing a decent 700 cfs, and "Beaverhead clear" with about 2-2 1/2 feet of visibility.

For flies, I cut off the wing and trimmed the hackle on a couple of Harrop Cripples.  They ate them both.  The pink ostrich one worked good the last two days.

I feel a little dirty, but not like a whore.  I actually enjoyed it, and as I sit on the near-dead Henry's Fork writing this, there's a little tug that's saying go back to the Beav. and stick a few nice ones.  But not seeing the eat, all that blind casting, and the fish mainly hooking themselves still detract from the experience.  But I had to cast, and fish, and have a chance.  Besides, I knew what was laying out there in the middle of the river.  I got taken to the cleaners by a few giant rainbows.

If I did this in September and October, before the hatch, might rip the shit out of 'em.  Shoulda tried it last month when it opened.  Might try it next month when its hot.  Glad I broke the spell.  Now it might be more ok, at least in my mind.   What the hell, my days are numbered.

Look closely-he ate the dropper.