Catch and Keep Opener 2013

[in captions]

Day one: we were afforded exactly 90 minutes of free time between appointments on Saturday (opening day).  We were in the vicinity, so we stopped in on a popular river reach.  Kid wanted to press for a creel of ten; we had to stop at seven to meet our next obligation. 

Every kept trout showed a stomach near-bursting with a notable mix of bugs.

My field eye was a bit rusty and I underestimated the length of every trout we kept.  The offset was approximately 1.5 inches.  I think this fish was 13 or maybe 14.5 inches.  Biggest BNT I've ever kept.

This cat already has the one handed pose; it came naturally to him.

Still can't hook fish on his own; main lesson on this day was pinching the line with one hand, stripping it in with the other.  The casual stance in this photo; I like it.

The receding water is often great to fish, in my opinion.  It's clear or clearing, and the extra volume provides more camouflage for both audio/visual facets.  We beat up this riffle in every way.  We worked the tail: first three drifts produced fish.  Then the far side; beauties there.  Then the main riffle and the head.  More fish.  Look at it.  Tandem nymph rigs.  Big black leading and a scud trailing.  Knocked all over the water.

First creel of 2013.  Smallest fish is 11 inches.  Feels good to keep fish.  To eat them.

Day two was a steady rain all day; should have fished it but couldn't.  Day three was a  bust as a result of day two: we looked at all the small streams within 35 minute radius; every one was less than three inches clarity.  We didn't fish; called it and went home.  Did something else.  So we've logged 90 minutes thus far in keep season.  April continues to drain away...    Man, could use a good week without hard precip and then a solid day of nymphing.  I think it might be coming soon.