This entire week, I have floated late evening. The Sulphurs have literally poured off. I an afternoon, you will see size 16- 2o’s and each pod of fish seem to be picking a different size. TVA is backing off their generation schedule now. Will have to see what that does does to the bugs. I do know before the water came yesterday, Sulphurs did come off. A buddy of mine, Mark Folk, fished and said he didreal well on a size 18 cdc comparadun- Sulphur orange.
I had the priviledge of not only meeting our new Simms Rep., but actually fishing with him, Thursday evening. His name is David Chounard[ give or take a letter in that name] . Not only is David very knowledgeable, but he can fish. And fish with the best of them. We got on the water late- 4:30 or so. I hustled on to a spot that I knew the Sulphurs would be coming off. The idea was that David and I would both fish. David’s first cast changed that plan. It was a 50+’ reach cast. What a pleasure it was to have an expert caster in the front of the boat. So I told David that I was just going to sit back and enjoy this. His first fish was a 17″ or so Rainbow that was sitting in the water column sipping on Sulphurs. A beautiful cast, a beautiful drift and a gorgeous fish. It only got better from there on. David fished the way I do so much. Wait and watch for the rise, pattern the fishes rises and then gun for them. He just happens to be a better caster than I. He can out punch me.. more distance. The climax was a 60+’ reach cast to a 16+” Brown with that same 18 comparadun… sip. Good stuff.
A funny part of the day was that earlier I had told someone that I had not hung an anchor all summer. It was my attempt to encourage these new paddlers of drift boats on this river to not worry about getting hung up. Well 30 minutes into the float with David, my anchor got wedged in between two rocks and was stuck. I mean stuck. That roller anchor was stuck vertically.. an impossible angle that .. evidently was possible. So Murphy’s law is still alive and well. ” If it can happen, it will.”
It has been a good week. Age 60 came in with a bang. My hands are torn up from paddling so much. Skin falling off everywhere on them. The mountains are beginning to look beautiful as Fall rolls in. And that means the Big Browns will begin to move and show themselves. I have a wife and family. Who could ask for anything more.
God Bless each of you.
Rod
