2010 Catch and Keep Opener

That particular weekend has again come and gone. Each year I figure that I won't fish trout streams - I'll either stay home or rebel and fish carp. Each year though I somehow end up on a trout stream. Along with a lot of other folks. Many other folks. This year I tried a few strategies: (1) don't fish Saturday - at least wait until Sunday, (2) get up earlier than any other MF out there, (3) fish some C&R only streams. Those all worked somewhat well. I did get up early not to get a worm but rather to beat the worms to the stream. Pulled up on a sweet hole on a blue ribbon water in the heart of The Driftless. And no one around... I got geared up with a little tremor in me because I was figuring a car would pull in any second and butt in front of me. See that's a problem and a sign of an angler who needs further evolution: paranoia and a wanting of the stream to himself. But why lie about it - it's how I felt. It's my stream and I didn't wany any other MF bleeping up my morning. Right on I was some bleeper bleeping up someone else's morning. So it's a problem to be dealt with by time and salt and learning and experience. So anyway I got out there and I stood at the tail of that pool like a victor. And just like that - no joking - not ten minutes after my feet were wet, an absolute brigade pulled up. Ha! It was almost comical. All these giant rigs rolled in like some military op was unfolding there in rural SE MN. The parade marched on by and boy did I give them some looks: check it out MF, I'm here first. That's right. My hole. Trouble is that I never caught a damn fish out of that hole. And it's the first time that's ever happened. Made me wonder if someone pulled an extreme early-bird on me and made me eat my own words and feelings. Could have been. I figured I got what I deserved and I moved on.

From there, the day was pretty damn decent. Walking along in bluebells isn't too bad. Spring green coming on just right. Enough to make you feel good but not enough to impede exploration. I did see quite a few people. I am a person myself but for some reason I just don't like them - people. Only me and the people I know - those are the ones I like when I'm fishing. That's pretty poor of me but I figure the least I can do to start down the path of remedying that condition is mention it. In fact I utter mean words in my mind when I see people sometimes. Call them names, etc. Really negative guy. Not sure why.

Anyway, a lot of water that should have produced fish showed nothing at all. I figure most holes were pounded pretty hard before I got to them. No biggie except for the fact that that reinforced my perception of everyone else on the stream as fu**ers.

I spent a good amount of time nymphing and swinging small streamers... and produced only a fish here and there. I saw fish rising, but no really evident hatch materialized. Eventually I got some fish on dry flies. Afternoon I saw some caddis and got some fish to eat EHC. Fished with cows and enjoyed that.

The only really sweet takes of the day were a couple I solicited using a #18 compra dun on dead flat water, way up and across. It was pretty tough. I spent a good amount of time switching out flies to get to that pattern... and then making the right presentation.

Near day's end, I asked a smaller, C&R only stream for some help. Turned out to be a good move. Less of a pounding that day... And the EHC lit it up pretty well. Good number of fish came to that fly right up through early evening. When sun went down and temps dropped the fish stopped rising. I put on a streamer and landed a nice fish on first cast... and walked out.

And so I'll continue to hate the opener and I'll continue to fish it.