Well
I knew the theme of tonight’s blog was going to be “dirty” but to end the
suspense right now, it’s about the water clarity and not my home life. Now I
hope my Flyshop boss doesn’t read this post because I think I’m going to trash
talk him a little. As most of our readers know, I have a very specific way of
attacking the river when I fish. I love to hunt them down, spot them clearly,
sneak in for the shot and drop the flies in front of the fish. When the river
gets dirty it stops my plan before I can even start. Now about Alex, many times
over the years I have overheard Alex talking to customers and stating that yes
sight fishing is not fun with dirty water but there are some advantages to
dirty water. Yes I know he is correct but still I just shake my head and need
to walk away.
I
hadn’t been out in a few days and even knowing the clarity had gone down over
the weekend, my compulsion was just too strong and I headed to the river today.
When I got to the water I nearly turned around and went home, if I wanted
something that dirty…. I’m going to get in all sorts of trouble with this post.
Anyway I saw clarity was down to about six inches and I kept hearing Alex’s
voice bouncing around in my head and I decided to stay. It didn’t take long and
I hooked what I thought was a possible passing torpedo. After losing so many
quality fish over the last few weeks from lack a lack of determination, I
decided that tonight I would work every fish like my life depended on it ending
up in my net. So the fish chased me up and the across and then back down river
with me chasing and trying to not get too much line on the water. It seemed to
help and I eventually landed a beautiful eighteen incher. I moved down river
and happened to see a fish rise on the other side, I snuck in below him and had
another battle on my hands, another landed fish. I landed one more in the next
spot and began thinking that all the lost fish over the last few weeks were
just my lack of determination and lackadaisical attitude. I moved down a little
further and the next three fish were lost during the battle and I realized how
little I really know. I continued to move down river hooking and landing
several fish.
The
thrill of the evening came when I had a fish dive below a branch and start
running. Now I was thinking what Cat had told me a few years ago and rather
than stop him immediately and have him wrap me on the branch, I gave him line.
The reels spun for a while and my internal distance clock had him about thirty
feet below me and I began to bring him back up river. My spidey senses told me
he was nearing the branch so I lowered my tip and reeled a little harder. I
felt him slip back under the branch and I was able to bring another beauty to
the net. That one deserved a huge pat on the back. I headed back toward the car
and hooked a few more gorgeous fish. I ran into Tino and got to watch him land
a great fish as well.
As
I was driving home this evening I started reliving the evening in my head and I
realized that even though the water was not very clear, it was one of the
better evenings I have had in a while. Now maybe next time I hear Alex giving
the positive side to fishing dirty water I might jump to his aid, yeah probably
not. The reality is that fish eat regardless if we can watch them or not. Fish
were taken on everything I threw tonight but the best was a size 18 Black
Ninja. I guess the Ninja’s attack even in the dirty water. As always, Connell,
Cat, Winston, Alex and The Drift Fly Shop want to thank you for reading…
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