Picture Perfect

My last two outings to Blue River have been grand and enjoyable affairs. On Sunday, I got to meet some new anglers at Blue and put names to faces.  Also, on Sunday I got to fish with two great buddies in Van Stacey and Michael Mercurio.  The fishing wasn't fast and furious, but still quite rewarding.  Starting out at the Flats below the Island, three bows came to my hand courtesy of the olive Wooly Bugger.  Van was having success down in the riffles with the Marabear that he ties. 

We eventually migrated upstream and Van started at Cottonwood Pool catching two in rather fast order.  I positioned myself about thirty feet upstream from him and tied on a Frenchie in pink under the bugger.  The trout fell in love with the Frenchie.  Landed five in the same run while Van was catching more further upstream at this point.  Michael Mercurio was long overdue and I had a good idea of where he might be ... visiting his girlfriend Seventeen.

Van and I took a break at Scotty's for coffee and then headed downstream in Area 1.  As we neared Seventeen I saw a familiar fellow standing in the middle of this magnificent little pool doing what he does best - drifting.  Mercurio had been there awhile and reported good success with the Partridge and Orange soft hackle.  He is probably the best drift fly fisherman I know and it's mesmerizing watching how he works his rod and line. 

Van and I would join him at Seventeen and further up, and all of us were capturing trout.  I finally tired of the indicator and decided to high stick an olive bugger and this technique worked best. 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue River is as pretty as I have ever seen. Her flow is back to what it once was and it seems to be staying at this fantastic flow.  Our day would come to an end Sunday and for me it didn't look like I would get to return until after the News Year.  However, the report that huge amounts of rain were predicted for this weekend led me to think of a way to return to the river soon.  Necessity is the mother of invention.

 

I got to the mercantile store at 5 a.m. on Tuesday.  Got my work done and was out the door by 11 o' clock headed to the Blue.  My plan today was to explore and see if the rains of this season had dispersed the trout. 

 

I started out across the river and it was here my exploration of fishing pools of possibility began.  It was capture a fish in a certain pool and then move to the next while in the process of answering the question, "Have the trout spread out?"  The answer, "Yes!"

 

Before the day would end I would fish Area 6, Teds Pool, and Seventeen.  All produced trout. Only two flies were used - an olive Wooly Bugger and Pink Frenchie.  They were either fished alone or in tandem.  It was a fruitful day. 

 

I had time to do two short videos that I hope shows some of the intimate water I enjoyed today.