Fewer ants more Uncles

After a long overdue dump run, I headed back up the UEB.  The ease with which I found bugs and rising fish yesterday left no doubt in my mind that that was the place to go. There was only one boat trailer at Ox Bow Campground and not a single car parked along the river.  At 3:00 pm, roughly the same time I found bugs yesterday, there were none.  Risers, I saw not a one.  Boats, I saw one with a fly fisherwoman in the bow double hauling what appeared to be a streamer right up to the bank on every cast. That told me all I needed to know about bugs farther upstream. Did a u-turn and headed for the WB.

Took a long walk upstream (not an easy thing to do after high water bends the shoreline grass downstream).  Held up my vest and tiptoed through a deep area to get to where I wanted to fish.  It was well worth it.  The fish ate my fly like an M&M fresh out of the bag.  As is usually the case this time of year over half of the risers were 1.5 year olds ranging in size from 9 to 11 inches.  There were some nice fish to be sure but it's not May.  When the fog thickened and the hatch waned I made my way downstream to the car.

Arrived at the car about 6:30 and headed  to a different high water spot on the big river.  I was armed with my ant box and was determined to even the score after last nights debacle.  Navigated my way down another muddy trail with all of the shoreline grasses beaten down and ensnarled with flood debris.  I needn't have bothered, the water was covered with thousands of  the G.D. ants.  Found three fish happily dining on them.  Threw my ant, my olive, my iso, a spinner and couldn't even put them down.  Never even got a look.  Mercifully my fly caught on a submerged log, I broke it off and trudged back upstream to the car.

There is a heat advisory for the next two days.  The BK is at a great wading level but will probably be too warm to fish.  It's been dry for a week now and the tribs have dropped back to somewhat normal levels.  The WB and UEB flows won't change much until the release levels are cut back (probably on the 1st).  Wade carefully.

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