TR- An Embarrassment of Riches

Spent last week vacationing in Ely, MN. But I spent the last free
morning of my vacation at home, fishing the River.

A cool, foggy morning gave way to as pleasant of a June day as anyone
could want. Fishing started a little slow but soon picked up.

There were bugs of every description. All of the late Spring hatches
mixed together with a few Summer ones. Many varieties of mayflies,
including Sulfurs, March Browns, Light Cahills, BWOs and what appeared
to be a massive spinner fall of Tricos somewhere upstream (although
its too early and cool for them to be about yet). No sign of any Hex,
either in person or in proxy i.e., spider webs or nymphal shucks.
There were all kinds of caddis. Two sizes of craneflies, the common
little yellow and a much larger golden one. The stiff wind kept the
water dotted with terrestrials. In short it was a smörgåsbord for
insect eating fish.

And they responded. They took Catskill type dries, Bivisibles,
Parachute Adamses and Klinkhamers. But they seemed especially prone to
the more flush sitting patterns like Pass Lakes (of course) and CDC
and Elk caddis. To be honest, by the end of the day fishing became
more of a compulsive activity than a sport. With each run giving up
anywhere from two to ten fish, it soon became obvious that I'd lucked
into a day where anyone could catch fish almost at will, little skill
required. A better man than me would have packed it in and left the
last mile of water to the trout and their food, finding a trail and
walking up to the access point. But not being a better man I fished it
instead.

If the fish hadn't been brookies, each with their idiosyncratic,
jewel-like appearance, it might have been boring. And I ended up
wondering how I'll respond to a more normal fishing day, when each
fish feels earned rather than given (however mistaken that feeling may
be). All I know is that I felt punch drunk coming off the water,
wearing a silly azzed grin as I talked to a guy at the access point.
And I kept grinning on the drive home, while I mowed our vacation
height lawn and into the early morning hours at work. I'm grinning as
I type this right now. Must have been a good day.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_0043a.jpg
Foggy Morning

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_0044a.jpg
First Decent Fish

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_0053a.jpg
March Brown?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_0049a.jpg
Pass Laked

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_0057a.jpg
Sleek Fish

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_0060a.jpg
Sunny, Bright and Still the Fish Rose

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_0061a.jpg
Spots

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_0062a.jpg
Last Fish


hth

GeoC.

"George Cleveland" wrote ...
I'm grinning as I type this right now. Must have been a good day.


Thanks for the great TR and pics. It sure does seem like you had one heck of
a day.

IIRC, you're in the mitten-shaped state, near the northern part of the lower
half, right? If so, I may have fished the same river this past weekend. I'm
not one for writing TRs anywhere near as eloquent as those you produce
(thanks), but from your description, your day sounds much like mine. My
buddy and I tramped through the sand of the river that begins with an M,
near the part whose name looks a bit like the name of a mediocre blended
Scotch (*) and pulled 20 or 30 little brookies each. It was insane. In a
good way.


-Dan
(*) by which I mean Dewar's

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:20:19 -0500, "Daniel-San"
wrote:


"George Cleveland" wrote ...
I'm grinning as I type this right now. Must have been a good day.


Thanks for the great TR and pics. It sure does seem like you had one heck of
a day.

IIRC, you're in the mitten-shaped state, near the northern part of the lower
half, right? If so, I may have fished the same river this past weekend. I'm
not one for writing TRs anywhere near as eloquent as those you produce
(thanks), but from your description, your day sounds much like mine. My
buddy and I tramped through the sand of the river that begins with an M,
near the part whose name looks a bit like the name of a mediocre blended
Scotch (*) and pulled 20 or 30 little brookies each. It was insane. In a
good way.


-Dan
(*) by which I mean Dewar's

No I live in the State that was robbed of the U.P. by the Mitten
Staters. Our State resembles a teapot, at least I've always thought
so.

Cheesy George

"George Cleveland" wrote ...

No I live in the State that was robbed of the U.P. by the Mitten
Staters. Our State resembles a teapot, at least I've always thought
so.

Cheesy George

I guess my memory needs a little tuning . . .

Seems as if the planets aligned correctly for the solstice in both Curdistan
(TM Wolfgang) and Michigan. A great weekend of fishing, to be sure.

Thanks again for the TR.

-Dan

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:50:59 -0500, "Daniel-San"
wrote:


"George Cleveland" wrote ...

No I live in the State that was robbed of the U.P. by the Mitten
Staters. Our State resembles a teapot, at least I've always thought
so.

Cheesy George

I guess my memory needs a little tuning . . .

Seems as if the planets aligned correctly for the solstice in both Curdistan
(TM Wolfgang) and Michigan. A great weekend of fishing, to be sure.

Thanks again for the TR.

-Dan

No prob.

And I've just been informed back-channel (that sounds somewhat dirty)
that the fly in the pic that I tentatively identified as a March Brown
is in fact a Brown Drake. Another TR shot to hell. ;^)


Geo.

George Cleveland wrote:
Spent last week vacationing in Ely, MN. But I spent the last free
morning of my vacation at home, fishing the River. ...
an excellent read snipped

Thanks for an enjoyable TR.

--
Ken Fortenberry

On 24-Jun-2008, George Cleveland wrote:

Spent last week vacationing in Ely, MN. But I spent the last free
morning of my vacation at home, fishing the River.

A cool, foggy morning gave way to as pleasant of a June day as anyone
could want. Fishing started a little slow but soon picked up.

There were bugs of every description. All of the late Spring hatches
mixed together with a few Summer ones. Many varieties of mayflies,
including Sulfurs, March Browns, Light Cahills, BWOs and what appeared
to be a massive spinner fall of Tricos somewhere upstream (although
its too early and cool for them to be about yet). No sign of any Hex,
either in person or in proxy i.e., spider webs or nymphal shucks.
There were all kinds of caddis. Two sizes of craneflies, the common
little yellow and a much larger golden one. The stiff wind kept the
water dotted with terrestrials. In short it was a smörgåsbord for
insect eating fish.

And they responded. They took Catskill type dries, Bivisibles,
Parachute Adamses and Klinkhamers. But they seemed especially prone to
the more flush sitting patterns like Pass Lakes (of course) and CDC
and Elk caddis. To be honest, by the end of the day fishing became
more of a compulsive activity than a sport. With each run giving up
anywhere from two to ten fish, it soon became obvious that I'd lucked
into a day where anyone could catch fish almost at will, little skill
required. A better man than me would have packed it in and left the
last mile of water to the trout and their food, finding a trail and
walking up to the access point. But not being a better man I fished it
instead.

If the fish hadn't been brookies, each with their idiosyncratic,
jewel-like appearance, it might have been boring. And I ended up
wondering how I'll respond to a more normal fishing day, when each
fish feels earned rather than given (however mistaken that feeling may
be). All I know is that I felt punch drunk coming off the water,
wearing a silly azzed grin as I talked to a guy at the access point.
And I kept grinning on the drive home, while I mowed our vacation
height lawn and into the early morning hours at work. I'm grinning as
I type this right now. Must have been a good day.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_0043a.jpg
Foggy Morning

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_0044a.jpg
First Decent Fish

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_0053a.jpg
March Brown?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_0049a.jpg
Pass Laked

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_0057a.jpg
Sleek Fish

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_0060a.jpg
Sunny, Bright and Still the Fish Rose

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_0061a.jpg
Spots

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_0062a.jpg
Last Fish


hth

GeoC.


Gerat photos - Those are some realistic and beuatiful colors that you
captured

Many Thanks
Fred

On Jun 24, 3:26 pm, George Cleveland
wrote:
Spent last week vacationing in Ely, MN. But I spent the last free
morning of my vacation at home, fishing the River.

A cool, foggy morning gave way to as pleasant of a June day as anyone
could want. Fishing started a little slow but soon picked up.

There were bugs of every description. All of the late Spring hatches
mixed together with a few Summer ones. Many varieties of mayflies,
including Sulfurs, March Browns, Light Cahills, BWOs and what appeared
to be a massive spinner fall of Tricos somewhere upstream (although
its too early and cool for them to be about yet). No sign of any Hex,
either in person or in proxy i.e., spider webs or nymphal shucks.
There were all kinds of caddis. Two sizes of craneflies, the common
little yellow and a much larger golden one. The stiff wind kept the
water dotted with terrestrials. In short it was a smörgåsbord for
insect eating fish.

And they responded. They took Catskill type dries, Bivisibles,
Parachute Adamses and Klinkhamers. But they seemed especially prone to
the more flush sitting patterns like Pass Lakes (of course) and CDC
and Elk caddis. To be honest, by the end of the day fishing became
more of a compulsive activity than a sport. With each run giving up
anywhere from two to ten fish, it soon became obvious that I'd lucked
into a day where anyone could catch fish almost at will, little skill
required. A better man than me would have packed it in and left the
last mile of water to the trout and their food, finding a trail and
walking up to the access point. But not being a better man I fished it
instead.

If the fish hadn't been brookies, each with their idiosyncratic,
jewel-like appearance, it might have been boring. And I ended up
wondering how I'll respond to a more normal fishing day, when each
fish feels earned rather than given (however mistaken that feeling may
be). All I know is that I felt punch drunk coming off the water,
wearing a silly azzed grin as I talked to a guy at the access point.
And I kept grinning on the drive home, while I mowed our vacation
height lawn and into the early morning hours at work. I'm grinning as
I type this right now. Must have been a good day.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t%20day%20vaca...
Foggy Morning

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t%20day%20vaca...
First Decent Fish

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t%20day%20vaca...
March Brown?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t%20day%20vaca...
Pass Laked

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t%20day%20vaca...
Sleek Fish

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t%20day%20vaca...
Sunny, Bright and Still the Fish Rose

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t%20day%20vaca...
Spots

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t%20day%20vaca...
Last Fish

hth

GeoC.

Excellent pictures and an excellent read. Thanks for posting.

On Jun 24, 3:26*pm, George Cleveland
wrote:
Spent last week vacationing in Ely, MN. But I spent the last free
morning of my vacation at home, fishing the River.

Hm. Very nice, George!

Bill

George Cleveland wrote:
Spent last week vacationing in Ely, MN. But I spent the last free
morning of my vacation at home, fishing the River.


hth


It does. Thanks.

Russell