Saturday, December 26, 2015

Blue Christmas

A seaman is meant to be at sea.  Now, most would think with holidays and shore leave granted, that I would be content to stay dry docked at the harbor home.  However, with the eldest daughter two states away and a grandson at the extreme northern part of this prairie ocean I found myself pacing the planks. 

This wouldn't be the first time I had sailed to Blue River on Christmas day and this year my buddy Van Stacey would also hoist the iron.  At Blue River we both threw anchor around 9:30 and headed straight to the current.

Having tied a red ass Frenchie the night before, I was excited to see what this lad would or would not do  Above Cottonwood Pool I sent him out on his maiden voyage and it didn't seem like he had been wet anytime at all until a bow slammed him.  My reaction was a hard thrust skyward and with these two dynamic actions heading in different directions, the red ass was lost at sea.  Sad ending for a chap that had just been brought to life.

 
Fortunately I had a backup red ass Frenchie... a rather battle worn one I must say, but he would have to do.  At the end of this outing his service would prove to be exemplary. 
 
I only sent two flies out Christmas day.  The olive wooly bugger would also serve well alongside the Frenchie.  For Van, it was also an olive wooly bugger and one of his Marabears.  Once the action slowed on both, he reluctantly tied on a Frenchie and lo and behold if he didn't start catching trout again.  Old sea dogs like me love to smile when those occasions come around.
 
 
 
Van and I would fish only above the crossing and then below.  It didn't seem like it mattered where we sent out our offerings.  The trout seemed to be in each location.  It wasn't a lot of trout, mainly one or two here and the same at the next spot.  The Island was pretty much taken by two other anglers, so we migrated downstream to the Flats and Riffles and better trout action there.
 
At the end of our short outing we had managed about thirty trout souls to our hands.  All were returned to live a little longer. 
 
 
On the way out I had to stop by and take a picture of these Blue fans celebrating the Christmas season.  Hope everyone had a merry one.
 


 


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