Chapter 58 Day 111 - Trout Season

Derby Results

Chris Adams and I have been fishing together on Blue River for twelve years now.  I can remember the first time meeting Chris - he was fishing a stretch of water that bears his name. 

When it comes to the trout derby, Chris has a determination that is quite rare.  Here recently he is best known for his Bubba Bugger - a fly that produces fish after fish for Chris and anyone else that tries it.  I think the success Chris has at the derby events is more that the fly he happens to be using.  He lays out a game plan and then he follows through on that plan.  He has the determination and staying power and he knows his fly-fishing well. 

Today, Chris was presented the Susie Latham Shrader memorial award for weighing in the two day heaviest stringer of trout. It was my honor in presenting Chris the award.  If I'm doing the math right Chris caught about twenty-one pounds of trout over the two day event. 

Congratulations to Chris Adams for another fine performance. 

Chapter 58 Day 110 - Trout Season

Derby Saturday

Derby Saturday turned out much more pleasant than the forecasters had led us to believe.  The forecast called for steady rain all day long, but, the only rain I encountered was on the way to the river.

Today was a pleasure for me because I finally got to fish with Van Stacey.  Van and I didn't get to the wilderness area until around 8 o'clock and began working our way up.  Van would pick up a fish here and there and I was culling the smaller fish. 

By the time we got to the wilderness Chris "The Machine" Adams was probably about through fishing.  As a matter of fact he told me that he had to wait until his nephew Matthew caught up with him.  Imagine that.

Chris and Matthew fish a honey hole if you will and if I'm doing the math right the two of them pulled 17 pounds of trout out of that one hole.  Not bad for a short morning on the water. 

I wouldn't get to this honey hole until probably 11 'o clock.  There was still some fish left remarkably and I would get three fairly nice trout to hand.  I suffered heartbreak twice while I was there losing two really nice trout - two pounds or better. 

About thirty minutes before hitting that honey hole I took a rather significant fall into the river.  Even though I had that walking/wading staff that Charlie made me, it's not going to help a guy who doesn't have the sense to not hop from a flat rock to a bevel shaped rock. 

I went down in the river up to the chest, bummed the elbow up, and cut the hand.  It was about that time, I think, that I told myself a beer should would taste good.  But... I didn't have one. 

Ending up with close to seven pounds of trout I weighed them in and headed for the prairie home where an Epsom salt soak was surely awaiting me. 

Soon as I weighed in it began to rain so that was all the more reason to not stay for the ceremonies. 

Tomorrow is derby Sunday and a brand new day.