Rapid River

On Jun 6, 1:23*pm, David LaCourse wrote:
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

Having been there, I can visualize the spots and the excitement when a
huge head come out of the water with a little fly in its maw.
Outstanding TR. Thanks Dave.
Frank Reid