Nymphing on the OK

The days are getting longer and warmer. With the sunrise today around 7:15, I let Gary know last night that I was going to hit the River, and wanted to know if he could make it.  All thing were a go until he until I got his text saying that he needed to past was up most of the night not feeling good.

I made to one of our spots and the sky overcast water level up just a bit higher than I would like it 1450 cfs. And the water temp. up to 37. Nymphing time.  I just took my time working my way out.

    With a hot orange double bead peacock  stone, rigged up under a indicator about 9 ft.  I hit the top and worked it thru the first hole. Nothing, I shorten up and worked  in closer to shore in the shadows with the stone not more than 5 feet below the indicator on the fifth or sixth drift bobber down, it ran right up in towards shore into no more then a foot of water then back out into the main stem. Not a lot of fight and soon my hand was around this pretty Hens tail.

        My next fish was maybe 30 minutes later, when I thought that I pick up something off the bottom the way my bobber went down just under the surface I could see it just hang there I lifted the long rod only to get a shake Stick! No fish it just wasn’t going anywhere soon. Some pressure slight bend in the rod and then it took off into the main current. Soon I was wrapping my hand around this nice buck’s tail.

            The wind picked up blownin out of the north through the canyon and it was cold on wet hands. I didn’t check my knots, gave another fling eight or nine time and the bobber goes down again hook set. Short fight, there is nothing more gone then a lost fish.  Never got to see it just felt it a short while retrieve my limp line less the bug. Knot failure leader to tippit.

              By 10:30 hungry, cold wind blowing, no bug on the line, two fish to the hand, one bad mistake, (I should know better) I marched out of the water and headed home to warm me bones.  

The rain is to come back tonight and rain for the next few days, hopefully the river will be back in shape so I can work the bugs again soon.

MAY THE FISH BE WITH YOU,  ROD BENT, AND TIGHT LINES