Flyfishpimp: December 2009

You know the saying " Everything is just perfect". Well sometimes things are too perfect. I arrived at the Blue yesterday after watching a beautiful sunrise driving up from Texas. Compared to my last Blue visit in a downpour, I felt like I was due a " Bluebird" day on the river. Too perfect you say?? Yup, pulled in the lot north of 7 and I was the only one there. As a matter of fact, never saw another person in the C&R yesterday and I had the river to myself. Too perfect you say??

Ladies and Gents, the C&R has always been good to me. I have had 30 fish days and 10 fish days but I never have had a problem getting into fish upon my arrival. Did I mention something about too perfect. I digress. I road in on the Trout Cruiser looking for fun with the Rainbows in the Blue.

I found the area totally to myself and decided to hit my honey holes in the middle section before I explored the lower end for the first time this year. The only problem was I never had a strike. NOT ONE. Wow this was rare and I soon found myself talking to myself. And no answers seemed to work. I threw everything, and still nothing. I had figured with the abundance of water this year like no other previous year in the C&R, that the fish had decided to spread out and yes they have. The water is so damn clear, you almost see down to the bottom of some of the pools below the falls. Thinking outside of the box is what it is going to take this year folks to get the tugs you came for.

Here came 10:30 and 11:00 and then I glanced again at my watch from the lower area. 11:15 and no tugs. What in the world is happening up here I asked. Nothing in the lower so I decided to hit the upper section. I have never failed to hit fish there so up I went. I went to my favorite perch on the island below the falls where I showed Eric a week or so ago and still nothing. I was now perplexed and cussing. Okay, the fish have moved. I worked my way down river and the back up above the falls. Yup friends, the fish are ABOVE the falls too and the Red Copper John took the skunk off. My watch read 12:00 and hence the title, " High Noon Skunk Off". Thought about this title right then and went with it. Here is the hook jawed male that took the skunk off.

I am not that much into fish counts folks but the day ended up at 7 fish. All on red and blue copper johns, soft hackles in various colors and the olive booger. Good new all fish were of size with the largest about 18" and close to 4 lbs. Not one tug on the pheasant tail which has been the producer this year on my previous trips. Sightfishing is in on the Blue so do it while you can with this clear water. Had a take on this fish I spotted in one of the channels that I will not soon forget. See the fish, watch him eat and set the hook. NICE!!

I will wrap up this trip with a couple of cool pics from a fish who just HAMMERED the olive booger. Nothing like the tug on a streamer. Make sure you are using 4x folks up here when stripping boogers. Use 5X and you can kiss these fish goodbye.