Spring Break Pics and Captions

Episode 1: 3/31/2018-4/2/2018

Brother and his family came down to join our marginally-annual time spent at local state park.

Easter dinner in camper cabin.  Four generations present.

Good to share special water with folks seeing it for the first time.  I heard this sentence: "I've got to remember to look up every now and then."  Right on.  Kind of a scenic place.

My brother said we should catch some trout; at a minimum his kids wanted to see me catch trout because they'd not seen one before.  My reply was that I would not need to fish; older kid could be the demonstrator.  He filled that role well.

Hooked up.

Working with his big cousin.

Three different guys caught at least one trout.  Made me pretty happy.

Notable lesson here, as the boys broke off a nymph rig after catching three fish from one hole.  I tied a streamer on for them and said now see if you can move a meaner fish with this bigger fly.  I think this one came maybe 2-4 minutes into the streamer presentation - right from the same water that had been pounded with nymphs.  Light bulbs going on.  Bro got one on streamer too and he got to watch the eat.

Brother's family had to head out.  Work schedule.  Everyone had been sick and had vomited all over hell too: on the stream, outside the cabins, everywhere.  Older boy and I pushed through and stayed as long as we figured was good.  On the last day we fished just the two of us, looking to throw streamers.  More lessons but in this case it was mostly watching me catch a high number of larger fish from hole after hole.  It was a gray day and a little cool and he had no guts left, having thrown up a dozen times.  He toughed it out but was not up for fishing.

Background showing a favorite type of streamer water: broken by head-sized or larger rocks, decent current and foam lines; perfect for quartering up and across.  Moving fish after fish.

Episode 2: 4/7/2018

We triaged some make-up days.  Took younger guy out solo.  He caught his 50th trout on the fly from the same hole that got him his first ever.  He noted that fact before I put it together.  I think he will remember this water well.  Nice spots on this brown.

In 2.5 hours of nymphing he hooked four and landed three.  Failed to discern take on probably 12-15 fish.  Which is funny: it's his personality; he's an easy-going dude.  Which will serve him well and make him better than me in that regard.

Episode 3: 4/12/18

Further make up, with older boy.  No nymphing allowed this day; just streamers.  Prepping him for Lake Michigan, at least getting the feel for putting streamers out there.

Watching a guy fish streamers seriously for the first time; reminder re some of the finer points.  Be at close attention at all times; this isn't "relaxed fishing."  It's deadly killer mode.  Fly in water, rod tip to river surface immediately; get tight and stay in contact.  Absolute focus is necessary.

I had him quartering downstream because it's easier and the fish sometimes help out with the hookset.  Ideally he would have quartered upstream because I am a disciple of that approach but it takes more attention and active participation; not the way to start for a younger guy.

He did well with it.  Ended up getting some nice stocker rainbows.  Good prep for bigger things down the road.