I had the week off work, and for the first time ever I used my vacation time to stick around home and take care of some chores and projects around the house. I felt like I was wasting vacation time, so I drove 3 hours west for a day of fishing. The fishing guide was doing a good job of directing me to some new and interesting, but ultimately unproductive waters.
While I was driving a narrow lease road, looking for a place to turnaround and head home, I found a bridge that crossed a river that I had hit in a couple of spots earlier, but here was a huge hole right under the bridge, so I decided to give it a try.
I put a foam grasshopper out, and on the first cast, BANG! The hopper hardly even hit the water before what felt like a huge fish took it. After a short fight the tippet broke, and I was minus one grasshopper. I kept trying with another hopper, but nothing.
I changed it up and tried a different spot in this hole with a coachman for awhile then a grasshopper again,which combined produced an 8" brookie, and a half dozen rockies from 7"-14". Now, I've owned a fly fishing rig for a few years, but I've probably only used it 12 times. I just caught as many fish here as I have for the entire time I've fly fished. Not to bad for one hole.
I decided to go back along the log where I lost the grasshopper and try another one before heading home.
Again, on the first cast (errr...the second first cast..?) in the this section, a fish came right up out of the water with my hook in its mouth. It hit the water with a sound like a beaver slapping its tail. My heart was pounding like I had a monster WT in the crosshairs (I'm new to fly fishing- this has never happened before). I tipped my rod up- NOTHING THERE!
After 15 minutes of casting... casting... casting... I finally hooked it. It didn't feel as big as the first one, but was fighting pretty hard. I gently... oh so gently... started to reel in.
It measured about 16".
I can't wait to go back.
First Grayling
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