TR ( a work in progress)

Dave LaCourse wrote:

Friends and I just got back from a trip down-river to the spawning
beds on the Rapid River. The day started out overcast and gloomy, a
perfect day to drift a dry through the channel at the Beds. This was
the first time I have seen the missing Lower Dam from upstream. It
was a bit eerie seeing the river without the old structure.

We threw everything that I could think of at the little fishies, and
got one rise (with a miss) to show for our efforts. Never has so many
done so much for so little, to paraphrase an old great statesman.

But, it was a beautiful morning, fall colors lighting up the shoreline
of Pond in the River, with a hint of an aroma from decaying leaves .
I gave Walt and Ed (friends from CT) a tour of Pond in the River,
showing them the island with the big yellow house in the middle of the
river half a mile upstream from Lower Dam, and the little cabin on the
south shore of the Pond.

Yesterday was by far the best day (actually half day) on the river
that I have had since early June. By chance, I stumbled upon a fly
that both the salmon and brook trout seemed to want. It is a
choronomid with a green flashy body, red underbody near the eye, and a
tuft of white antron in front of the eye, on a size 18 hook.

First cast into the foamy water at the dam and I was into a nice
little salmon of about 12 inches. This fly consistently took fish for
the next hour, including a couple of bigger (15 -17 inches) salmon, a
small 12 inch brookie and a fat monster brookie of about 17 inches.
The brookies mouths were free of any hook woods, as were most of the
salmon. One salmon had a hook sore on his right jaw, but it sure as
hell didn't stop him from tail hopping all over the place before I got
him in hand. It was the first day this week with rain.

It started out as a bearable drizzle, but by the time I caught the big
brookie, it was pouring and I was soaked (to lazy to take out my
raincoat from the vest pocket.) As I left I noticed another angler
move into the spot. At dinner he said remarked on catching a couple
of nice salmon.

Lunch awaits me. The afternoon will be spent napping or sitting on
the porch watching the loons.

Today is Joanne's birthday. Party/cake at dinner.

LaCourse








happy birthday to joanne. hard to think of the rapid without the old dam
structure. i was lucky to see it...one of my memorable times, for which
i thank you.

jeff