Fellow blogger Ashu Rao was in town for the long weekend. We made plans to fish a half-day and met up bright and early at 5:30 am at one of his New Hampshire home waters.

We think we may have seen a wild brown or brookie or two, but it was mostly stocked fish, with rainbros all over the place. Wading was tricky, and I fell once, but the fish were eager to eat. Fly selection wasn’t really an issue, and it was nice to have an easy day for once. We found a deep pool and hauled in a good number and found fish among the seams and pocket water. Bugs were everywhere, a veritable bug fest.

Mid-morning, we felt the need for speed and decided to go for donuts at a local shop. It was drive-thru only. I ordered one donut, and I believe Ashu ordered six. Oh to be young again and have no need to watch what you eat.

Fueled with sugar and carbs, we opted to target smallies. The river looked juicy, but we didn’t land any fish. We had grabs, and I managed to see a few small fish before they popped off. We also visited Stone River Outfitters, which has an amazing array of fly-tying materials.

The “half-day” of fishing lasted eight hours before we called it quits. A late lunch called for crustaceans and mollusks after such a fishy day.

I hope everyone is having a great long weekend. It was great to see Ashu. He will be hitting the saltwater tomorrow, and I hope he does well.

There are fewer things better than fishing with an old friend!