Short Holiday

It's 9:00 am the day after, a lighter hatch of pmds than yesterday, sprinkled with some green and brown drakes.  So much for "A" game. I deliver to two fish, I hook two fish, and I unbutton two fish.  So including last night, now I'm one for five. Yes, the river will correct you.

Now 10:00 am, pmd's cover the water, but the fish aren't on 'em.  Never do get on 'em.    Talk about having the rug pulled from under you.  There's just something magic about that opening day, but nothing changed from yesterday morning to this morning. I'll never figure it out,  but opening day is in 364 days!

Now noon, I go up to the hitching post where the birds are working, but don't see any fish rising.

Evening wind calms down around 8:00 and there are some brown drakes, but only a couple/three fish showing, not in the same place.  I do see a guy hook two up above me. Just have to be in the right place for a fish or two.

This morning I decide to fish the upper Ranch from Last Chance. There's a nice little hatch of pmds from 9:30 to a little after 10:00, sprinkled with a drake here and there, but it doesn't happen. I do raise two nice fish on the winged beetle, and the one on the hanger.  My "A" game has gone to D, and the only thing saving it from F is that I'm still raising 2-3 fish per session.  They're nice ones, would have counted, but some days the bear eats you.  Or like a server bringing your favorite dish, you eating it, and leaving no tip.

On a bright note though, I fixed those waders that developed a leak in the neoprene foot!  Last winter I bought some Aqua Seal Neo, a more liquid version specifically for neoprene. I had used them to reglue some separating seams. Well I put some on the thin part of the neoprene where it was leaking right on the bottom of the foot, and voila, no wet feet after walking to the third fence and back, crossing the river twice, and standing in it for a couple hours!  Never leave home without it now. Flow went from 740 to 990 this morning, but the water still looks great!

Tonight, The big brown drake dance below Osborne starts about 6:30, earlier than it had been at millionaires.   And boy are they dancing.  It's nearly all smaller fish up though, and just when the dance floor really got rolling, a big thunderstorm with big wind rolled in and doused the party.  

Now I discover a detour to my routine in the form of a broken leaf spring on the trailer. Like somebody snipped it with sharp shears, it's just hanging there.

So after a tow to Saint Anthony and a repair, I'm back on the water for the last night of this round, and back to my familiar Millionaires.  It's beautiful, bright sun that has been out all day and only a light breeze. 7:00 p.m., and not a drake in the house.  Finally a few in the air shortly after 8:00.  8:30 and the bugs are poppin'.  I get an hour window and a couple of nice fish.  All after the sun is at the horizon and drops.

This is a change coming in a few days from the record heat of June we've been having.  I think it's time for a little side trip to Wyoming.