Point Number One: A Rainbow in the Murk

April 17th, 2024

I thought I would start this fishing challenge off on my first trip out so far this season. It felt appropriate. The idea for this challenge was brewing in my mind for a few months prior so I was very anxious to undergo this journey once the weather and my personal life permitted it. Unfortunately, I didn’t predict I was going to be as unlucky as I was, since spring runoff decided it would make its thunderous start quite literally the hour I was planning on fishing. I am usually studious about checking the CFS flow prior to going to my favorite rivers and this day was no different. When I looked at the flow on this particular river prior to starting my hour long drive the rate was 290 CFS, a bit higher than I was used to but figured I could still make a productive day. Pulling up to the access and looking across the river it was clear the water was borderline unfishable. The water level was over double what I was anticipating, totally blown out in its white watery muddy glory.

The mountains where I live had heavy snowfall for the season and all I could deduce what accounted for the high water was the dam upstream had to release higher water output earlier than usual as the reservoir behind it was nearing 100% capacity.

It was a disappointing moment seeing that churning, angry water after yearning for a good fishing outing for so long. Still, I wasn't going to let the river defeat me that easily. I was familiar with this stretch of the stream and I knew my usual zig-zagging across the wadable river from one side to another was off the table, so I opted to be strategic in where I would access the water and focus on deeper, calmer pools instead of the main channel. I was prepped to trying out my midge and emerger game, but opted to tie on a size 12 white woolly bugger instead, thinking it would contrast well in the murky water.

I made my way downstream, slinging my fly into any water that looked remotely fishy without any hits whatsoever, although I caught my fair share of twigs and other debris. To make matters worse, the cloudy skies finally let loose a downpour and chilly winds started picking up. I couldn't help but feel a bit demoralized. There's the old adage that any day fishing is better than a day at work, which hold mostly true in my experience but there's those undeniably frustrating days and this was one of them. I made my way back to my truck, unsure if I should call it a day or try another section. I decided to try a different stretch of water I was familiar with downstream that had a spot I felt like held greater promise.

I arrived at the other access point as the rain and wind was just letting up. I had only fished this section once before, a meandering off-chute of the main river.

With lower flows and clearer water I knew my chances of hooking into some trout were higher here. I tied on a copper john and made a bee-line for a bend in the river with an undercut bank that stood out to me. Within a few casts I saw my indicator submerge in the water and the first fish of the day was on. It was a 10 inch radiant brown with a lot of fight packed into its smaller frame. I proceeded to catch about a half dozen browns of similar size and energy. It made for fun and fast fishing, but wasn't quite the size I was looking for to cross a point off my list.

After another hour the fishing slowed and at 5pm I knew my time on the water was drawing to a close. I had some action which was fun but still felt a little discouraged the trip didn't go quite as planned. Before the short trek back to my vehicle I opted to try a handful of more casts on a run that looked interesting, its gentle riffles beckoned me into giving it a try. I didn't have much hope there would be any takers from my rig but kept casting, working just about every square inch of water it yielded. A few times my indicator would swiftly go under, prompting me to set the hook on what always turned out to be a snag. My final resolved cast of the day came, a swing up river near the bank on the opposite shore, my indicator swirled for an instant in a small eddy before darting under. Rod tip immediately up, I felt the pull of a strong fish and a great fight ensued. A few times the fish tried retreating into the brush that was providing structure in the water and I felt inches away from losing it if it managed to wrap itself around a submerged branch. Eventually the fish tired out after some good runs and I laid eyes on it as it materialized from the hazy water: a beautiful and healthy looking rainbow. Netted, photo op captured, I appreciated the fish for a moment before letting it swim off into obscurity once more. It was a 17-18 inch fish, taking up most of the length my net.

Fish like that, even catching just one, can suddenly make your whole fishing experience for the day worth it. It left me happy, fulfilled I could land a beautiful fish and satisfy a point on my newly launched Legendary Angler challenge.

One down, 99 to go.