Easy does it.

 

Drove down to the camp this morning - uneventfully. When I left on the 13th the grass needed mowing, the apricots on one of the trees were about the size and shape of a prune pit, there were lots of baby peaches, the apple blossoms were falling and the whole river system was wade able and exploding with bugs. 

This morning the grass was 12 to 16 inches high, thankfully without any rain it wasn't lush (except around the winter deer turds). There were so many kinds of grass seed (all on tall wiry stalks) I could have opened a seed store. It took four hours get the entire lawn into a semblance of order. Took a walk around the yard and found that last weeks freeze killed the apricots, the apples seem to be fine, the peaches seem to have had some loss but there will still be plenty. The orchids which I left hanging out on the roofed in porch seemed no worse for the 10 days without water.

I was tired and took a nap, awoke at 5:30, felt reasonably good and decided to drive east and see what if anything was happening. Should have waited another hour as the bugs and fish did. There were iso husks on streamside rocks, and by 7:00 there were caddis egg layers in the air along with March Browns, Cahills, isos and assorted other flies. Did well early, getting eight fish to come to the fly. The first four refused the last four ate and were landed. The last hour was spent watching boils by several good fish that never acknowledged a cast. Finally went down into slower water, made a good cast to a rise and hooked a16 inch fall fish. Called it a night and walked (slowly) back to the car.

It was good to be back down to the camp, but I probably should have been assigned to a smaller stream for rehab. Have made strides these last three days but it's clearly going to be a while before I've got "game" again.