Opening Day 2014

I didn't get to fish opening day, but I did find some time to head down to my fishing clubs' annual soup lunch on the banks of our river, along with my daughter. The sausages were good, the soup was even better, and watching my daughter casting with a friend was the highlight. Afterwards I heard that some friends of mine had done well on opening day, and I was itching to get on the river. But, with two small kids at home, and a meeting of yet another fly fishing club that very evening, it wasn't to be...

The loops could be a little tighter...;)

Bratwurst!

Everyone huddled around the soup kettle, trying to stay warm.

I hadn't made an appearance at the other fishing club in a long time. Other obligations make it very difficult to do so, but I think they're a fantastic organisation full of good people that organise some great events, and I wouldn't dream of letting my membership lapse just because I can't partake as often as I like. That'll change soon enough as the kids get older. I did enter a few photos in the annual contest though, and won a 50 buck gift certificate to a local fishing shop with the third place photo:

A brown trout in a small creek

I had to rush home after the meeting and wasn't able to enjoy the dinner they put on every year but it was nice to be able to stop by.

The next day, a little before noon, I arrived at the river to fish, Epic 580 in hand. I've had it for a few months now, but I've only ever been able to lawn cast it so I was excited about getting on the water. The water was high and wading was tiring. There was sporadic Baetis activity and brief windows of rising trout, I tied on a size 18 BWO and spent quite a bit of time casting to a rising trout next to a rock across a fast seam. After countless tries, I finally got him to take but blew the hook set in my eagerness. Another fish was rising a few yards downstream, and after a few attempts I got this one to take too. He was on for a few brief seconds, and then off. But having a fish on the Epic was different. I felt the throb all the way to the butt. Unfortunately, that was the closest I'd get to fish for the next few hours. I headed to the dam marking the top of our beat, and swung streamers all the way back home.

The dam that marks the uppermost border of out beat.

A deep run. Clearly fish holding, but I didn't have any luck.