Rapid River

As many of you know, the Rapid River in Maine is my homewater. I have
been fishing it for more than 20 years and know the short river better
than most. The 2000 and 2001 ROFF clave was held on the Rapid, and
everyone agreed it is a beautiful river, full of big salmon and brook
trout, but difficult to fish. Last week was the best week I have ever
had on this beautiful river.

I arrived late Sunday afternoon, bringing torrential rains with me. I
settled right in preparing my fishing gear. I was in no hurry; I would
be in camp for four weeks. Plenty of time to fish. While rearranging
my fly boxes I remembered my goal this year - catch big fish on tiny
flies.

Monday morning was wet and cold. I awoke about 4 a.m. and shivered my
way to the woodburning stove and put a match to the already prepared
paper, kindling, and wood. Quickly back to bed, I slept until 6 and
awoke to a more civilized cabin, one warm enough so that this old man
could better function. After breakfast I hurried down to the dam.
Except for a guide and his pretty good fisherman client, I had the
place to myself. The flow was 1400 cfs, not really high, but not ideal
either. I took up station on the Anvil Rock and proceeded to land
small salmon and brook trout on a size 20 caddis nymph. None were too
small, nor were they big; just sort of average, I guess. Fun, but not
very exciting.

However, my move to the first runway off the dam improved the
excitation factor. On the second cast into the bubbles, I hooked a 17
inch female brook trout. And, she was ****ed. Fought like hell while
staying in a very small area, not like her brethren counterparts who
run all over the place slowly exhausting themselves. Because (I am
assuming) the hook is so small (#20), as soon as I netted and released
the pressure on the hook, it came out of her mouth. This would happen
on every big fish I landed in the next five days.

I had found *the* spot on the river, because in the next hour, with the
guide and his sport watching, I landed five more brookies all greater
than 16 inches. They absolutely loved my size 20 caddis nymph (the
fish, not so much the guide and his sport). I switched to a size 22 of
the same pattern (had a helluva job threading it with my 5x tippet),
and the love affair with this pattern continued. I hooked and played a
20 inch male brook trout into the net where he took a mighty leap off
the rubber webbing and found his freedom in the cold water. The hook
was bent so its replacement would be a size 20 of the same pattern. At
my age it pays to give your eyes as much help as you can.

A short time later I switched to Harry Mason's Proven Killer Caddis,
size 16, and cast to rising fish about 40 feet in front of me. This
fly is unbelievably successful. The salmon took it within a second or
two of it landing on the water. The fish were all salmon, in the 12 -
14 inch range, but fun catching on dries. I bet I went through half a
bottle of Frog's Fanny in the next two hours.

Back to camp and lunch at noon time. I was very tired but happy.
After a terrific lunch that would put my dietician in cardiac arrest, I
returned to my cabin and fell asleep listening to the rain on the roof
and the crackling fire in the stove. Life is good.

More to follow......

Dave