Touchet River
 

Just spent 4 days on the river. Still much to learn. Learned about
rain and bailed alfalfa, not a good combo. My neighbor's second
cutting in 2 string bales didn't get picked up soon enough and got
wet. It was pre sold but who knows now. They loose stacked it so it
wouldn't combust. A lesson I need to remember.

Had a friend and kid with me so fishing was on and off. Farm kids
crave kid company so every day the big pools were devoted to swimming,
tubing, and watermelon. Last day was a beaut, rained all day, so I
fished down the river using a purple beadhead wooly bugger with a
little flash. Drifted this setup into riffles that mostly were banging
into log/brush piles and pocket holes. Very effective in the rain.
Kept switching back to surface setups because Im such a sucker for top
water action. Did catch lots of 6-9 incher cutts but nothing of any
size. After last week's trip to the Western WA "treefarm" rivers with
nothing but very small cutt natives I did have a Jones for something
larger. So 4-5 very strong decent sized rainbows were very welcome on
my 8 weight. Meant to get over to the Tuncannon river at Maren-go road
junction but didn't make it. There are a series of holes behind a set
of corrals where a lout has gotten away twice now and I need a
rematch. Maybe in September.

Learned a bit more about hogs from my lessee. For one they really love
to roll and poke their snouts into a pitch of alfalfa. Make you laugh
like hell. They are getting lots of good food right now, overage
vegetables, ditto dairy products, cracked corn and softened soaked
wheat. Butcher time come October if they go to 300lbs. Harvest is
about done for wheat. Table corn is being cut day and nite down by
Burbank with machines bigger than combines. Soft wheat here is holding
way over $7 a bushel and hard winter is over $9. Looks like a good
year on the Palouse.

Dave