Vernon

I never thought I'd see this place empty of fishermen, especially with bugs on the water and trout rising.  But here I am.  Overcast and in the 40's.  Midges from 11am through the afternoon with some mid afternoon blue wings.  The fishing is easy, upstream right over 'em.  There's nobody here!  

A comfortable 830 cfs.

Doin' it all over here in pods

For the midges, size 18.

For the baetis, size 18.  (I know, I know!)

One of three new Pac Bays I built in December.  Two peices, cigar grips, REC nickel silver, with flex and soul.

There's nobody here!

Road Trip

Winter.  What's that?  A season, a block of time on the calendar. The north end of earth tilted away from the sun during its annual revolution.  Reduced daylight and early sunsets.  I remember cold air, snow, ice, and frigid winds too.  In my neck of the woods this year, winter came and went without such encumbrances.  To date, we've had three snowfalls, four if you count the one when it melted on impact.  Eight inches, maybe, for the season's grand total.  Temperatures have been warm with more nights above freezing than below. My wood pile only has a dent.  I've never seen a season like it, and I can't find an older-timer who recalls one either.  In my mind, this cancels out the winter from hell 2 years ago, when my neighbor had to dig me out several times with his big John Deere and my local reservoir was frozen until April 29th.  It never dreamed of freezing this year.

This week's forecast calls for record-breaking heat, "a powerful heat dome" they're calling it.  Sounds better than "polar vortex," "atmospheric river," or a "wind event." Most of us across the Rockies had tickets to that just a couple days ago, and it's still nearby, though moving a little east of my location. 

There's a new tow vehicle to try out, empty campgrounds, spring midges with a dash of blue wings, and temperatures that are going to reach into the 70s this week. I hear the call.  The roads are dry and the days grow longer.  Damn near to equinox.  Winter is still messing around to the north and east, but could still show its ugly spring face.  Fishing later in the season could probably use it.  For now though, the blocking high creates an opportunity.

I haven't made time to tie flies for the season. Cold mornings provide that opportunity, and I always do my best work parked riverside.  

My home water, one of the very best winter fisheries in the country, is fishing well. It's that old backyard thing though, I'm always thinking about places a little further away. I've never been to the South Fork, Ashton, Last Chance, or the Madison in March. The door is open for discovery.

For the trout, early spring is grateful season. They haven't seen much for flies or living insects in quite a while, so they feast on both.

Under 1,000 cfs.  Little more than a regular sized river.  5,000-12,000 is normal May-Oct flow.

Midge city.

All to ourselves

Frisbee chasin' ain't bad either.