Life is good in the Elk Valley; lots of ants of all sizes and some shading are rolling down the current seams and feeding our sweet trout. Hooked some big fish with tiny flies on thin tippet and watched about 75% of the fish win on that. I like working into a pod of rising fish that can see through my bullshit. Not sure if it's the tippett or the fly selection but the last three times I've blood tied in 6 X and tied a new fly on, the target fish who said go %#*! yourself on the previous two dozen drifts ate.
These are the triumphant moments in angling that keep my excitement levels high as a guide. Nothing like the reward after the chase and me (like most people) can't stand rejection, refusals and or being ignored. It's hard on one's self esteem and I've rowed away dejected by savvy trout in the past and dragged that energy down the river with me like a bad curse. But when it all happens, when all those little tricks, theories and adjustments you make end up winning, you and nature shake hands, bump knuckles and nod at each other with gratitude. 6X does by the way snap on heavy cutts and I've left some jewellery in the faces of the Elk River Cutts.
Bull Trout seem to be in pre spawn mode on some of the system and have been eating cutts on the line and grabbing streamers. Noticed one nymphing today on an upper Elk trib and was able to stick him with a nymph. The water levels remain really good here and our September and October are looking really good.
We still have quite a few openings for those months but expect to fill them as the heated and low Montana trout waters have slowed down and the wise are looking north. We here are at Freestone (well 2 of us) have decided to give the apres fish drinking activities a rest. Three nights ago as I sat across from Joel on the kitchen table wringing out the last few drops of zinfandel into our glasses; it came to us that the recycler bin was showing breaching the rim with empty craft beer bottles as well as the odd empty bottle of Mendoza red =0 !!! We agreed to give our buddy booze a week break and I must say it's damn nice waking up without feeling foggy and shakey....much easier tying blood knots these days.
These are the triumphant moments in angling that keep my excitement levels high as a guide. Nothing like the reward after the chase and me (like most people) can't stand rejection, refusals and or being ignored. It's hard on one's self esteem and I've rowed away dejected by savvy trout in the past and dragged that energy down the river with me like a bad curse. But when it all happens, when all those little tricks, theories and adjustments you make end up winning, you and nature shake hands, bump knuckles and nod at each other with gratitude. 6X does by the way snap on heavy cutts and I've left some jewellery in the faces of the Elk River Cutts.
 |
| Jim Steinmetz Charring in the Rockies |
Bull Trout seem to be in pre spawn mode on some of the system and have been eating cutts on the line and grabbing streamers. Noticed one nymphing today on an upper Elk trib and was able to stick him with a nymph. The water levels remain really good here and our September and October are looking really good.
We still have quite a few openings for those months but expect to fill them as the heated and low Montana trout waters have slowed down and the wise are looking north. We here are at Freestone (well 2 of us) have decided to give the apres fish drinking activities a rest. Three nights ago as I sat across from Joel on the kitchen table wringing out the last few drops of zinfandel into our glasses; it came to us that the recycler bin was showing breaching the rim with empty craft beer bottles as well as the odd empty bottle of Mendoza red =0 !!! We agreed to give our buddy booze a week break and I must say it's damn nice waking up without feeling foggy and shakey....much easier tying blood knots these days.
No comments:
Post a Comment