Big Bugs!

Sorta.  Yes.  Really.  Mahoganies still in the house!  16's baby.  Not a lot, but every one of 'em was getting eaten if they floated by a few fish.  Sunshine, wind at zero gusting to zero, and toe warmers made for warmer fishing too. Oh, and there's hardly anyone here too, at least the last two days.  Nobody Wednesday, 4 cars yesterday.  Only saw two other fishermen at the end of the afternoon.  Hatch starts right around noon, but fish on midges earlier.

I had forgotten how much these fish seem to prefer duns.  Everywhere else, I opt for cripples, emergers, spinners, or anything but an upright dun.  Not here, they look for the wings and slim profile.  I never got an eat on a mahogany cripple or down wing.  Maybe tomorrow.  There were some baetis on the water too, and I could have fished those, but I'm not passing up any chance to fish a fly I can see every cast, every time.  They usually eat it on the first good drift too.  Or, perfect drift I should say.  I did catch some nice fish casting upstream right over their heads, with the furled leader, and a greased tippet.  Yep, that works best, despite all the lore otherwise.  Easy pick-ups too.  Should have been doing this decades ago.

Big bugs, lots of risers, enough good ones if you hunt and choose, no snow, little to no wind, tough casts, tricky lanes, gin clear water, free camping, breakfast at Picabo Angler . . . Fuck, I'm home for a while! 

Partly cloudy today

I spotted this one just as I arrived on "the point."

Took a while and a couple of rests

The only fly, and FOD.

Visibility helped target the nicer fish

Brown trout love

Trout lanes.  The weeds here are anchored, no floating shit!

The requisite Nature Preserve moose.