I’m taking two vacation days from work to do a long weekend to fish. The weather cooperated yesterday. No rain, and it was cloudy. A ton of bugs in the afternoon. Not many rises, and so, tightline and indicator nymphing were the way to go for me.

The flows have gone up with the recent storms, and certain stretches were a bit tricky. I actually fell in three times. But, hooked 17 browns and rainbows and landed 12 fish, nearly all good sized. All were wild fish or holdovers. The fish that got away popped off after good fights and had surged down river, leaving me in waist-deep white water, unable to chase them quickly. I didn’t want risk any more stumbles into the water.

One fish was so big, and the current so strong, that both factors bent my competition barbless jig hook, which has never happened before.

The trout really wanted emergers on the rise, and some takes were very aggressive. They were in the quiet seams amidst fast water or in a few feet of mid-paced water, in the deeper slots and under the bubble lines. The WD-40 in various sizes and colors did extremely well. Sizes 18 and 20 were the ticket. Frenchies also did well.

Not much time to write this morning, as I am headed back out early today.