The Surprise Window

I'm not sure if I'll ever see another run of fishing and travel weather like this in late March.  The climate is always changing, but this is a rare anomaly.  Pretty cool, I must say. Fishing some of Henry's Fork country followed by 5 days on the Mo., all in the second half of a month known more for cold blizzards than consistent dry fly fishing.  I can't get to everything, or even a sample of it, but I put this window of warm dry weather to good use. 

The lack of winter throughout most of the Rockies this year does not bode well for water and trout later in the year. Nobody, including myself, has ever seen a winter like it, or lack thereof. The mountain tops look more like early June than late winter.  Valleys are turning green already.  Runoff has started, and likely won't last long.  Kind of scary to think about, so another reason to make hay while there's some fishing to be had.

I'll return to my reservoir to work until the end of May, and then see what the early summer brings. I plan to make my rounds again.  Until then, what a wonderful March it's been.

PHD evenings.  Magic even now.

Does this river even have any small fish?

This little Puff was the clear midge winner.  Buoyant and visible too.

Sometimes I trailed this behind the more visible Puff.  It's a proven midge winner.

Mid Canon at mid day for the win out of the wind. (say that fast 3 times)

Well fed.

Brown town in the canyon.

The last evening, though a sparser hatch then all the others.

Once in awhile I get a shot.  This happens to be the last cast, in the perfect low light, and a PhD fish.