Chapter 58 Day 19 - Trout Season

An Improving River
Blue River is trying desperately to return to the color and complexion that many of us consider normal.  This morning the river had improved immensely and is now what I call a tannin color.  It's my opinion the river is tannin-colored because of the muddy conditions caused by the big rain ten days ago, along with the runoff capturing much of the burned debris from the wildfire in the north wilderness.  Then if we add the hundreds of thousands of leaves that have found their way to the river we get tannin. 

If you are a fly fisher and sought out the shallow runs this morning at Blue, the river could have been very rewarding to you... as it was to me. 

I went downstream and found a shallow run and tied an olive bodied bugger with a bi-color tail of olive and yellow on the tippet.  The trout liked it.  Then I switched to the red ass bugger, which has been the talk of the river lately, and again the trout liked it.  However, my best friend of this morning's outing would be a size 14 Prince Nymph.  Ol' Princey boy produced a lot of trout. 

There were a lot of people on the river today - a lot of people.  I guess they were thinking the same way I was, which was to take advantage of the 65 degree weather and try and get some good fishing time in before the big rain comes late tomorrow - a rain that is sure to blow the river again.

After catching so many fish in one spot I tend to get a little bored so leaving the downstream water a course is set upstream to the water below the Crossing.  Here there are fly fishers, spinner fishers, and bait fisherman. 

I stand in the river a good thirty minutes intently watching the other anglers.  With the exception of one spinner fisherman who caught one trout while I was there, no one else caught any fish.  When I first stepped in the river I tied on the Olive Zonker Minnow I spoke of recently.  Casting it upstream and panic stripping it back, a trout absolutely slammed the Minnow.  I got a hook set, but after about twenty seconds it was the old quick release and the trout said, "Goodbye cowboy." 

Then, tying on the red ass bugger I found the only trout I would catch at this particular spot.  It was near noon now and my prairie home called. 

If making the river is possible tomorrow, think I will give Bubble Boy a run to see how he does. 

Today was a rewarding and beautiful day on the river Blue.  I give thanks and return to the bunkhouse.