Mud Run is a fast falling stream that flows over a rough tumble of rocks and
boulders, through a steep-walled gorge lined with rhododendron thickets.
There is no path along the stream, the only access to its numerous pools,
holes, undercut banks, and riffles is through the stream, which is a tough
wade at best.

Casting can be equally challanging, as the stream is lined with
rhododendrons, and birch and hemlock branches reach out over the stream.
Although there are many smooth deep holes, much of the water is fast flowing
around and over rocks, creating lots of currents to suck your line and pull
your fly astray.

The afternoon was warm and clear, and the stream was 65 degrees. A few
light cahills were coming off, and myriad light and dark midges and small
flies were daning about the water. Trout were rising sporadically at who
knows what. Little yellow stoneflies were also about.

Spying a deep undercut hole shaded by rhododendrons that hung a foot above
the water, with a nice current running by it, I threaded my backcast between
a birch and a hemlock, and shot the line beneath the rhododendrons. The
leader unfurled and deposited a #16 light cahill right into the head of the
hole, as I lifted the line out of the current. The fly drifted over the
middle of the hole and !thup! it dissappeared below the surface. I struck,
and the fish pulled back. Snap! and a perfectly good 6x tippet gave way. I
marvelled at what monster of the deep undercut bank could've snapped the
leader so effortlessly, and continued fishing downstream.

Mud Run is so tricky to wade, that it's important to make your way back to
the path out of the gorge before dusk. To try and wade this jumble of odd
sized rocks in the dark is dangerous, and just plain stupid. I know, 'cause
I've done it. But the further into the gorge you go, the better and more
amazing and more beautiful and less fished the water becomes, so it's hard
to stop. I was having a wonderful time with an inexpensive 7' 5 wt.
fiberglass rod, on leaping rainbows in the fast riffles, lurking browns in
hidden shady places, and beautiful brookies. Reluctantly, I turned and
started back upstream.

When we reached the hole that held my monster, I had to try once more. I
whoaed the pup, and crept into position. Once again, the backcast slipped
between the branches of the hemlock and the birch tree, and the light cahill
shot into the right spot below the overhanging rhododendrons. Once more, I
lifted the line out of the current, and the fly drifted right over and
!thup! This time a 5x tippet held, and my "monster" turned out to be an 11"
brown. I retrieved both my cahills from his lip, and thought of something
LaBranche had written about trout not learning. Here was a brown that took
the same fly with the same presentation, twice in just a couple of hours.

Mud Run used to be managed as a wild trout stream, and was flyfishing only.
I always had a great time there. Now it's stocked, and is Delayed Harvest
Artificial Lures Only. IMO, it doesn't matter much - relatively few people
are going to make the hike down into the gorge to the few easily acceptable
pools anyway, and even fewer are going to be prepared to wade deep into the
gorge. Excellent stream if you're fit, prepared, and are comfortable with a
short stick in close quarters. A 6' or 6'6" 3 wt. fiberglass rod would be
even better than a 7' 5 wt.

Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Since then it's been
downpours and flooding around here.


Here's a pic of Mud Run:
http://www.juvenal.com/spnr06.jpg


Timothy Juvenal