Marc and Mary on the River

I had the privilege of spending a fantastic Fall day on the water with Marc and Mary. The wildlife was out and about. It is that time of year where the geese are flying, the squirrels are gathering and the browns are starting to get their spawning colors. The skies seem to be a little more clear and the waders are beginning to make it into the truck so we have them for early morning warmth when we launch.

Mary was on the trip to enjoy the day and perhaps catch some fish. Marc was the angler looking to enjoy the fish on the line and the tug it provides. We shoved off hoping the river would give up some fish and an enjoyable, yet rain-free day.

The fish responded and were in the usual places. They wouldn't bite if the drift was not almost perfect, so we had some work to do. Some days the drift can be a bit on the sloppy side but this day wasn't one of those days.  Marc worked on his drift and after a few adjustments to his technique he was dialed-in and well on his way to a great day catching fish.

With all the morning action we floated into the usual lunch spot and fired up the grill. Marc and Mary enjoyed a lunch of cedar plank grilled salmon, one of my favorite river-side meals. We sat next to river for a while and the day slowed down a little more. 

After lunch we shoved the boat off the gravel bar and Mary decided she would fish for a bit. We rigged her rod with the appropriate nymph, then in 10 short minutes she had gotten a good drift, with solid hooksets and boated her first 2 fish on the fly rod. I didn't get a good photo of Mary while she was fighting her fish, but I did get an awesome shot of the rod, which is above and a photo of the fish which is featured below.

Mark continued with a solid day on the river. The river gave up good numbers on this day. We worked a little harder on this trip than on some previous trips but it was worth the extra effort. The drift was of utmost importance. Getting the bug to float at the same speed as the flow of the water, by using upstream and downstream mends, meant constant adjustment. To achieve that drift we used mostly leaves to pace the fly on this fantastic Fall day.

To see the latest fishing report click here and for more booking information see our Home page.  If you are a seasoned angler or have never picked up a fly rod and want to set up a day on the river just email or call/text 615-796-5143 to book a day on the water.