The skunk danced too soon.



With the morning temp in the 40's I didn't have to rush. Left camp about 9:30 and drove up to the EB to fish the trico hatch. Arrived about ten to find lots of bugs - all still in the air. They started to fall about a half hour later and the fish fed for a good two hours. There was no wind, a bright blue sky and lots of fish to throw at. Almost all of my good casts got at least a refusal, many were eaten. BUT, as has been the case since my return from the western trip, all the fish were yearlings about nine inches long. If I threw at anything bigger I wasn't aware of it. I may try another place sometime later this week but the handwriting is on the wall, the big fish are just not up on the tricos.

Again took a pass on the Deposit afternoon fishing. The hatch may have waned, but the number of boats hasn't. One of the fishing Steves (there are two) from Lordville has been going almost every day. His reports keep me from even thinking about it.

Went out early in the evening to see if the colder water got any bugs going. Fished a good spot on the lower WB for almost an hour without seeing a bug or raising a fish. Went to the upper big river and found space between anglers already fishing. There were a few iso's hatching and some epheron spinners flying around with their shed skin still attached to their tail. Hooked three fish within the first ten minutes, all were yearlings, two self released and one required my assistance.

As the setting sun was hitting only the very top of the hill behind me, I had still not caught a countable fish. Over on the shore Petunia was doing her little dance, sure that she was going to end up in my waders. Then, I saw a rise against the bank. The cast was no better than a B- and was just about to drag when the fish ate. I'd like to tell you about the jumps and runs in great detail, but there weren't any. The fish basically swam over to me and asked to be released. It was a 20 inch brown that was either long in the tooth or had spent much of the summer in water that was much too warm.

Petunia? She stopped dancing and walked into the bushes with the knowledge that unless conditions change she will be doing her little dance inside my waders before the week is out..

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