It was Friday the 13th, and the weather report at the local fly shop was a winter-storm advisory for elevations above 6,000 feet. Despite the ominous skies, and the cold, wet air, our guys from Pennsylvania and Texas said, “Let’s fish.” It was the right choice.
We added layers as we geared up rods, with a cold, crisp breeze blowing downstream. Dark clouds were building around us. It’s the middle of August, and we’re wearing fleece and ski caps … hilarious. But the foreboding forecast didn’t pan out. Not long into the float, the sun came out, layers came off, and sunscreen went on. There were a couple patches of dark clouds during the day, dropping the temps and prompting the return of some clothing layers, but they didn’t stick. The sun kept returning, warming things up.
And boy, oh boy; were the fish happy!
Dan had the Pennsylvania boys in his raft. They fished a mix of dry flies and nymphs, with solid, quality bites the entire float. After a while, they stopped taking pictures of fish below 18 inches. It was that good.
I had the father and son team from Texas, and we drifted nymphs all day. We didn’t catch as many trout as Dan’s boat, but we also had a great day, with lots of fish. The highlight of our day was when 15-year-old Taylor caught a beautiful, pig of a brown trout; the biggest trout of his young fishing career. He couldn’t have been happier, and his dad couldn’t have been prouder … As guides, we live for moments like that.
The flies that worked for Dan were …
We scored our fish on Pat’s Rubberlegs in Brown, Olive/Brown and Black/Brown, in #8 and #10; Superflash Yellow #18; Tungsten Bead Pheasant Tail #16; and Pheasant Tail Tungsten Flash Bug #18.
Another memorable, beautiful day on the river!
