Articles With the Tag . . . strategy

At the top of the flat, my time is up, and I chuckle at the absurdity of two things while breaking down my rod: First, tight line dry-dropper drop-shot as a thing. And second, why had I never considered it before?

Fast, heavy, deep runs have always been my favorite water type to fish. I can spend a full day in the big stuff. I love the mind-clearing washout of whitewater. No average sounds penetrate it. And the never ending roar of a chunky run is mesmerizing. I also enjoy the wading challenge. The heaviest water requires not just effort, but a constant focus and a planned path to keep you upright and on two feet. Constant adjustment is needed to stay balanced, and one slip or misstep ends up in a thorough dunking. It reminds me of the scaffold work I did on construction crews in my twenties. I always enjoyed being a few stories up, because the workday flew by. When every movement means life or death, you’d better stay focused. I always liked that . . .

We’re told that selective trout eat smaller flies. And I’m convinced that the most pressured trout prefer more natural patterns too. But how can our small non-descript nymph, with no adornments or flashy attractions, possibly stand out enough to convince a trout? How can we make a simple, small fly stand out? Put bait in front of it . . .

Nymphs and streamers, dead drifts and animation. I settled into a rhythm and covered water, without thinking too much, just enjoying the best winter fishing day of the year.

By that, I mean that things seemed normal, for a change. The weather was cold and windy, creating ice at the edges of the river. The river had its characteristic limestone-green in the deeper parts. And the fish responded well enough to keep things interesting. It was good, hard winter fishing.