I Really Got Beaten Up!

I fished one of my favorite small streams the other day. The water has started to rise and go off colored, due to run-off, but it was not so bad that I couldn't fish.

The winter dropped a lot of trees across the creek this year. There are always tons of snags, as well as live branches to harass your progress, but this year it seems particularly tough. I could hardly cast at many of my usual spots.

It was more challenging than it looks.

Because of all the branches I had a hard time setting the hook on some nice fish. They got off right after the missed hook set. That is one of the frustrating things about small, overgrown creeks. In places you can use the sling shot (bow and arrow) cast to deliver the fly, only to have the fish take the offering and not be able to set the hook. At least with western gear you can strip the line to set the hook. Not so with fixed line fishing.

I caught a few little browns and that kept me going. But I'm going to need to come back and do a little gentle creekside husbandry before the foliage comes out.  That should improve the creek some.