There Isn't Always a Santa Claus

My Christmas morning.  I overslept, but there were already 5 vehicles ahead of me when I pulled into the lot a 6:30am.  I saw nobody in the river.  By 6:55, I was on the bank where I needed to be at the little island.  And there he was, one rise, right where he was supposed to be.  There were no bugs I could see, though the mosquito hatch seems alive and well.  Even the birds were gone except for a few gulls.  Maybe somebody ahead of me had done the dirty work of getting the ducks and geese out of the way.

I get in position at the tip of the island and cast a few times over the sunken log still there and showing in the ankle deep water.  I had a spinner still tied on from the MO yesterday, so I threw it.  He ate it, and just like that, the Ranch is open.  Its all ankle to shin-deep, the whole dam river.  I like that, easy walking. (its not really "wading" when its this shallow)  Two more fish spook and leave wakes as the hooked fish starts running all over the place.  I net it, and that was that for the early morning fishing.  No bugs, no risers.

0830, and here comes the wind.  Its one of the warmest opening mornings I've ever experienced.  Maybe the warmest.  Mid-50's to start.  Warm before the storm, there's snow in the forecast in two-three days.  I wait, and walk, and wait some more until the flag at the Ranch is whipping straight out and white caps cover the river.  I get out intending to go get some breakfast and do something else.  Looking down from the volcanic cliff, I see a sort of flat strip of water 10-15 feet wide and 150 feet long right where the fish like to hold and feed.  I decide to get in and give it a look, just for the hell of it.

Now pushing mid-morning, I spot a pmd here and there.  A spinner floats by every couple-three minutes.  As I get closer to this flatter strip of water, with "diamond" rough water all around it, I see a nose.  Then some nervous water.  Then a couple little rings.  Sure as shit, there's a few fish working in this narrow strip.  I cast between gusts, and get close enough on the foot-deep flat to see the fish.  I hit a few of them, and bring three more Millionaire rainbows to the net, and unbutton another.  I'm finally blown off around 11, and the flat spot is gone.  It's not like last year, when I was the only fisherman on the whole run and fish were up in calm conditions.  Nope, there's no Christmas this year, but I opened the Ranch.  

Dropped right down.  500-ish.  Easy wading. Fun fishing.

New deadfall at the Millionaires overlook

I give you . . . The first fish on the Ranch, or very likely, of the 2024 season. Pretty good lookin' too.

Something about the clacking of the cleats on the asphalt trail that means something.  A little out of place, but part of the experience here.

When Old Glory is straight out and flapping, its not good for fishing.

That little sliver of smooth water is where they were all at!

Just in that one strip of smooth.  I don't know why it was smooth there, and no place else.  The current was the same.  ??

Fine spotted rainbow.

They got little ones here too

When in Last Chance,  . . . 

That's the pine pollen blowing in the background of these two geniuses die-hards.

The pollen was so thick you couldn't see too much past Last Chance

Never tire of this view