Rainy days were the norm for a while. On those days the mornings were the best time to get in a trip to the river without getting pummeled by heavy downpours. Michael returned to the drifter after several attempts that were thwarted by mother nature and heavy releases. After a successful trip last year we just kept rescheduling until we found that open window this year. Our choice of days this time around was a good one.
We were among the very first anglers to hit the river. The water was falling after a brief generation release and Michael began dropping nymphs in the faces of likely suspects. The trout were a little tight lipped at first. So we adjusted depth and worked really hard on getting just the right drift. The hard work began to pay off as Michael began bringing a good number of fish to the net.
There are small pockets of prime water that hold good fish even in high traffic areas. I have a couple picked out and each trip they get a nymph floated through them. Good water in high traffic areas can get pounded but those pockets can still hold multiple fish. The biggest fish, which often times we label as the smart fish, are usually the last to eat or so it seems. We slipped the drifter into position and Michael dropped the nymph in just the right spot. We watched the fly settle and then Michael was setting the hook. A nice brown came off the structure and began to tug. It made a short run and a high jump then on the way back down off the jump the line went slack. There would be more shots at good fish throughout the day, but that brown stung our ego just a little.
Throughout the day we kept our routine going with nymphs. There were a good number of rises but very few fish eating on top. Michael kept focused and dropped the fly were I asked the entire float. We met up with a TWRA officer who came from the woods to check our licenses and to give us the latest on the river. He asked if we were catching and we asked him the same. We were all having a successful day. Then we pulled up the anchor and began the last leg of the trip and he disappeared into the brush.
We had been hitting the spots all morning and I asked Michael to drop his fly on the upstream side of a high spot on the river bottom. The fly came across the high spot as it fell through the water column. The fish flashed in the clear water and grabbed the fly. Michael came tight and the fight was on. The fish took us for a couple trips around the front of the boat and then came quietly to the net. The TWRA officer had retreated back into the woods, but had a front row seat for the entire episode. We took a couple body shots of the fish and revived it to be caught and hopefully released another day. Michael is one of the few anglers who can call it a day on a good catch. On this day he wound the line onto the reel and said it was a good day. I am not one to roll up and leave after the a good fish but this was his trip. Michael had the right idea though and it was a good ending to a good day. We floated into the gravel bar a short time later, among the first to finish our morning on the river.
To see the latest fishing report click here and for more booking information see our rates 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.
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