On the water for one hour

My wife and I went for a drive last week. The Mountain Maples are turning and we wanted to see them while their color was good. We live is such a beautiful place, and Autumn is my favorite time to enjoy the beauty.

While driving into the mountains we just so happened* to drive by a beautiful mountain stream. After viewing the leaves I suggested that we park along the stream; she could then read one of her textbooks that she had brought along and I could fish. She just rolled her eyes at me and said OK.

I found a good place, secluded in the trees, parked and got out to check out the water. I had fished this stream before but not this far up. It looked like good water. I geared up.

The blue thing in the lower right corner is one of my fingers, contained in a blue nitrile glove.

I walked a little downstream then entered the water. The water was cold and clear; 52 degrees F as a matter of fact. I tied on a #10 UKB and targeted a likely eddy just across and slightly upstream from me. On my second cast I was into a trout. It was a healthy 10 inch cutthroat. Such a beautiful fish!

This angle makes him look like a micro!

The stream has heavy riparian tree growth which makes some stretches impossible to fish. I suppose this is good as these areas are havens allowing the trout to be undisturbed. These areas are interposed with stretches of fairly open water. Because of this pattern I chose to use my Nissin Pro Spec 2-Way 7:3 rod. It proved to be an excellent choice.

Am open section.

Another.

I decided not to use my video camera, as I'm trying to force myself to video less and enjoy fishing more. But I did take some still pictures. Earlier in the week I had contrived to cut my fingers off while doing the dishes, so I didn't hold the fish with my right hand; most of the pictures were taken while the trout were in the net. This makes them look foreshortened and funny, but still, you get to see what I took.

I only fished for one hour -- I was feeling guilty that my wife was sitting in the car. Still, in that time I took 12 trout -- two cutthroats and the rest were browns. It was a wonderful, yet brief, get away. I'll definitely be back!

Nissin Pro Spec 2-Way 7:3

* my wife knows that us driving by the stream was no haphazard event. She knew I was actually wanting to go for a drive so I could find a place to fish!