VIntage reel shakedown run

After getting my new to me vintage reel up and working again I just had to take it out for a little shakedown run.  I paired it up with my little 6'2" 3wt boo last night and it balanced quite nicely.  This afternoon I took a little run up into the mountains but was turned away from my intended location because of a huge cell of thunder boomers.  So back across the pass I came(where it was still bright and sunny) and decided to hit up another small stream thats been on my "yet to fish" list awhile.

After a short walk thru the woods I followed my ear to the river.  I came out just below this pool.

No fish here at this pool, but I will be coming back this weekend with my 5 year old for some swimming fun.

Up over the pool and around the bend.  Oh…….this looks inviting…..

Bingo!

Not long after another large pool, and no fish.  There is no structure in these massive pools so I wasn't really surprised at that.

All the places in between where good for fish though.

All the while I could hear massive thunder boomers echoing off the mountain sides, it was only a matter of time.  I also encountered a lot of bear scat so shortly after I was on my way out.  A few quick hours was good enough.  As soon as I got back to the truck it started to rain, then it was pouring buckets 10 minutes after that.

Up there things can turn around fast, down in the valley it was nice and sunny and 20 degrees warmer.

Also encountered an indicator of whats to come soon enough.

Newest addition to my skeleton collection

Just took delivery of this little gem a few days past.   Took it in to work with me last night, cleaned all the grime off, peened some of the loose brass posts and rivets tight again, fixed the clicker, re-shaped the reel foot back to nominal and removed all the rough and sharp edges so it wouldn't ruin the finish on my reel seats.  After all was said and done I coated the entire thing with 3 coats of automotive clear.  Love the handle on it, its my favorite part.

The River of Plenty

Headed out yesterday for my first trip into the White Mountains of the year.  Sure you can fish it earlier than mid July but I'm here to fish with dries, and dries alone.  In fact all I brought was six flies. The sight of fish after fish crushing bushy dries is just about as close to perfect in my book.  Now onto the river....

After hiking for quite a bit I could here its sweet sweet song, the lovely tune of flowing pocket water.  A short scramble down the side of a ravine and down to the river I went.

I saw down on a nice looking rock and assembled my rod for the day.

Time to sling some bugs!

Almost every pool held fish, sometimes three or more.  Mostly brookies...

And rainbows, some small.

Some not so small.

Pools after pools of this is hard to take....

After getting skunked at the head of one of these pools I loomed up from behind the rear rocks and promptly saw a very very large shape go darting
into its panic hole.  I fish I did not recognize because it was so pale.  And then it happened again two pools later.....

Ok ok, time to get sneaky.  Coming along the next likely spot I crept up the bank to get a better point of view before preceding and then I saw it!  There waving back forth between two boulders in the tail of the pool.  I crept back down to the water and slowly made my approach being careful to keep his head out of site.  Caught you buddy.

I then backed out and and tossed just the leader three feet up from his holding lie and then.....hold on brother...that glass three weight is in for a heck of a ride.

A curious thing for me at least, having fish of this size just laying exposed at the tail of most of the bigger pools.  I scared more than a dozen, caught just two.  How many more I didn't see is lost on me.  This was very exciting, learning something new and trying to outsmart this fish was quite a treat.  Clearly I have much to learn about the spooky nature of browns.  Of course it doesn't help that the water is crystal clear, this already willy fish has all the advantages here. But as least its good for underwater shots.....

After letting this fella go he decided to just hang around on the bottom near my legs.  He seemed quite happy to be next to me so I went ahead and took some fun pictures of him underwater.

By now I was hot, my thermometer said it was close to 90 out, the water was 55.  I'd had a great day lots and lots of fish, my busted knee felt good with a brace on it, it was time to cool off. I stripped off my pack and submerged myself into the deep pool at my feet...ahhhhhhhhhhh.

After lowering my body temp by what seemed like almost 20 degrees I emerged dripping wet feeling refreshed.  My tummy growled, I simply felt ravenous!  Time for lunch, a sandwich so aptly named.....

One last piece of water near where I was eating a late lunch.

And the last fish of the day from that same pool.

A fine day.