So, the private water on the Davidson River beat me like a rented mule a few weeks ago. A little dinker rainbow and a slightly larger horny head where all I could muster on this semi-fabled section of stream. My dreams of fishing "privately managed water" were squashed after that trip. I had imagined a 70 fish day, with a few over 20 inches to boot. While my friends caught a couple of trophy sized rainbows, none of us produced the numbers of fish I had hoped for. This week, however, I had a second opportunity to wet a line in a different privately managed stream.
I recently contacted my friend Carl. He was my pastor in college, officiated my wedding, and is truly one of the most genuinely Christ like men I have ever met. I called him up to see if he wanted to go fishing. He did, and he even offered to take me to the waters of a private fishing club of which he was donated membership. It's a fishing club that's been around since the the 1920's, and you can't even buy your way into it. and I got to be his guest for a day
Booyah!
Here is a quick pic I snapped of Carl on the river with his typical smile and his typical stance; the "fish in hand" stance. He probably caught 15 fish in this run. It felt like Carl caught atleast 4 fish for every one of mine. He said he caught 44. I think I caught about 15, but he said I caught atleast 25. I want to believe him, but I think he was just being nice. The fish pictured in Carl's hand is smaller than most in the stream. (Side note. As I try to blog, I find taking solo pictures of fish I catch takes away time from actually fishing, and potentially having the healthiest catch and release possible; therefore it is a discipline to physically stop and take a picture. I find that I am much more interested in fishing the photography, so only two pictures today).
This was the typical size of the feesh'es we caught. That's my mid-arbor 5 weight reel in the back ground to give you some perspective. The club recently stocked the river with primarily 14-16 inch rainbows. They where fat, fiesty, and eager to take a nymph dead drifted in their general direction. My arm is sore from fighting these rockets. I had to clip my leader down to a 4x taper so I could add 4x tippet instead of 5x and 6x. I lost at least 10 flies to fish that broke me off on 5x and 6x tippet. It was a great day of fishing. The temperature in the high country was in the mid 60's and sunny. We had an osprey flying over us surveying the scene much of the day, assumedly comparing our fishing efficiency to it's own And I even saw some if these big bows shimmering in the film of the green waters, rising to the surface to take caddis flies and little yellow stones for a brief window this morning. It kind of felt like I was in Colorado. A crisp morning, 4x tippet with size #14 prince nymphs and copper johns easily producing fish 15 inch rainbows, and enough room to cast most of the time. Pinch me.
Thank you Carl. You are a great man and an excellent fisherman. Non-private waters, I'll see you sooner than later. You keep me honest anyway.
