Our rivers got the rain they needed. There was anticipation and hope for a well-timed trip. More hope than anything else as I have not been timing things to its potential. There always seem to be something that takes precedence and admittedly, I don’t want to miss any of my son’s practices or games these days.

I had given myself half a day on Thursday which would leave plenty of time to return home, clean up and organize his hockey gear. Maybe even sneak in a nap. How nice would that be? What I did not plan was that the alarm sounded off at 4:30am and I decided to give myself a 90 minute snooze button option! I almost rolled over to stay in bed, contemplating a day of begging and changing appointments in order to go the following day. I have learned from past experiences to stick to the original course if I knew what was good for me.

Arriving quite past first light, several cars had easily beaten me there. I was to fish second water. Lately, I have come to accept it and have had success none the less. Today was nothing different. I started low on one tributary thinking the conditions would keep them short after entering from the lake. Didn’t think for a moment I would be alone.

And though it was never meant intentionally, I found myself drifting a piece of a tailout where I thought the fish would hold given the amount of presentations and float popping that was going on. It was also being drifted by another so I essentially pinned him from across the other side. He had more room and drift than I however I don’t think he could see the two rocks that I could see. These two rocks made a nice chute just ahead of the fast water. On my first drift through, the Oregon Cheese yarn pattern got smacked. Easily to hand but right after the click of the camera, it took my fly.

I only stayed a couple of hours here. The action slowed down and though I knew there were still a few there, I decided to leave fish for more seclusion and unpressured fish. After a drive around, several access points were occupied. It was doubtful there would be a chance at any non-spooked fish. While there was a notion to call it a day only after fishing for a few hours, I decide to drop back to a different system and hope for the best, that few would be there.

Pulling up, there were three cars cold to the touch. Assuming it would be only three others and there was plenty of water up or down, my hopes were rejuvenated when I saw the greenie water.  Double stepping to one of my favorite high flow runs and wouldn’t you know, not another around!  I should have changed floats but time seemed to be pacing out very quickly. Instead, adjustments to the set up were made in order to support the “wrong” float for the application. Within minutes, a quick take and a two second zig zag left my set up hanging on some bank brush.

My Blackberry chimed off the 60 minute warning. “Fish Fast” was what I had noted in my alarm pop up. And indeed I did. I wanted to cover two other drifts. Falling over growth that had not been knocked down by the weather, I stumbled to another run. Again, first drift into it, a feisty hen not happy that the meal she wanted was just hard plastic.

I wish I could have been on the river again today. Water levels would have made for easier navigations to various runs. Looking forward to the next outing. Perhaps I can leave the orange toque at home.