There's Just Something . . .

 . . . About a Ranch Rainbow.  Yes, they're a dime a dozen on the MO, and roughly the same size with as much or more stamina.  But the Ranch rainbow is generally more elusive.  Netting one is an accomplishment most of the time.  Not that they're any more selective, contrary to popular wisdom and theory.  I could easily make the case that MO trout are more selective and harder to fool, but there's so many more of them. They rise more frequently and methodically.  Ranch fish like to move just enough between rises to keep you guessing.  They take more time between eats to be alerted by your presence.  In the best of hatches they're still spread out a little, unlike the pods on the MO where you can shoot into the barrel.  The pace is slowed by the need to hunt, position, and give every target a chance. All this makes them just a notch higher on the feel-good scale.   Some days you win a few, other days the trout and the weeds win more.  Such was today.