All this has happened before, and all this will happen again

[rayfound]

Well, its been a week since the recent storms scoured our local mountains, and being just two days since I earned custody of a certain txl 00, it was time I made a visit to my local waters.

Approaching the stream, I couldn't help but notice how much things had changed. Pools that once thrived are now shallow runs, and former undercut bank runs have been carved into pools. Its is the way a stream is re-born, reinvented, and kept alive. The powerful fall rains that brought cool, clean water drove much of the organic material into the banks, leaving the streambed mostly gravel, and sand.

While I lament the loss of organic materials from the steambed, I welcome the new cleansing and rejuvenating that the newly aerated gravel is sure to provide, and the considerable amount of spawning and rearing habitat that has been created.


Being over a month since I last communed with the mountains, and experienced the glorious creation that is our natural world, it was nice to just get out, let alone be graced by the presence of my piscine friends.


Being that this was my first outing with my new (to me) double-ought, it was only fitting that the first fish was a dink among dinks. Nonetheless, I felt graced by his presence and carefully released him back to the pool from whence he came.

As I fished on, the fish count was elevated, along with my spirit, and I again felt like all was right in the universe. The fish were neither large nor challenging, and my skills were not pushed to their limits, yet with spongebob and Griffith's Gnat in hand, I plied the waters for about two hours before the burdens of the holidays lured me back to the "civilized" world.

as my time was nearing a close, I cast out and captured a larger specimen for this particular water, a beautiful, pale, rainbow of about nine inches, and appropriately chunky... deciding to end on a high note, I snapped the requisite picture, and after granting a quick return to the graceful waters, I clipped my fly and whispered to myself "Today is a good day".

Indeed it is. While I only spent a scant 2 hours on the water, the scenery, the atmosphere, the absolute change of environment was a blessing to me. Before reaching the road, I turned to face the creek and canyon, whispering a soft "thank you" to God, and Mother nature - This was all made far more beautiful than simple functionality would dictate.


Pictures follow.

and with this, the double-ought ship is christened.


for those of you curious about conditions:













The final cast/fish of the day:

[Satoshi]

Beautiful fish and rod!
You still catch fish with dry flies?! Amazing!
I've just checked the TXL00 rod in the Sage homepage. Seems a Great rod. It would be fun to fish small amago with the rod here.

[adam]

Absolutely sweet!

Thanks for sharing.

[rayfound]

You still catch fish with dry flies?! Amazing!

Yeah, I have a couple streams where fish will rise virtually year round to size 14 caddis dry. On the coldest of days they may get a little lockjawed. I'm not much for nymphing tiny creeks, though a dropper wouldn't be a bad idea for me on a day like yesterday, but then again, why complicate things.

[BrkTrt]

Nice report, well done.

Thanks,



- Brk Trt

[palewatery]

That's just a whole bag of fun.

Great pictures and dry fly at this time of year...... I need to move. :o

I really enjoyed that.

Thanks

[terry]

Very nice! Thank you.

[Brooktrout]

nice pics.