on the surface

It's kinda neat, to get
back onto a favorite
stream, in a familiar
meadow.

Scope out the scene
while rigging up, eyes
and ears open for subtle
slurp...stand still long
enough, here a gulp,
turn in that direction
and maybe see a set of
expanding rings become
interlaced with the glassy
eddies...was that?

Watch some more, relax
and there it is a gain, sweet,
a trout on the feed. Tie on
something buggy and work
out the line. Finally get the
cast right and there's a little
splish where there was once
a fly. Set into an exuberant
little brown, maybe the size
of the rod grip, but count him.

First Letort brown of the year.


Change flies and dig out a
fly I tied probably 15yrs ago,
a particular olive pattern I've
never fished. Play the hunch,
re-rig and start watching again.


Within a couple minutes spot a
subtle rise up along the far bank.
Bit out of range, so figure to fish
my way up there. Working the near
bank along the way, miss another
smaller one, then get into a good
spot to work that next lie.

Make a bunch of casts, nothing.
Move a few steps upstream,
another handful of casts, nothing.
Then another rise right there, what?
Take another step or two upstream,
another cast or three, when just like
that, slurp.

..cool....

Tighten the line and realize this isn't
just another little youngster, this fish
has some body and a bit of fight to it.
A couple of nice jumps, then struggle
to keep him up out of the weeds. Short
time later, bring him to hand, a healthy
12"er, nice. Needed that.


Pretty stoked on the outing, ended up
with a long distance release of another
and missed a couple more on the take.
All in all, a decent evening on the water.