Trout Source

Mysterious green flowing slot near the bushes (Oregon steelheading)
One fish was a large bright wild male that blasted a huge air right after the hookup, tore right between Dale and I, where I got a great glimpse of this specimen. Then it catapulted a huge air right on the leader where the impact broke the tippet, and it was back off to his early premature freedom. Right after that, Jenn struck to a Thingamabobber dunk with a bright chromer on, that released itself after a few big headshakes levered the hook from its jaws. With redemption from the steelhead gods, Jenn cast back out into the mysterious green flowing slot near the bushes with confidence from the brief chrome encounter, and the very next cast went tight! Fish on again! Yeah!!!

Here’s some video of the crime scene:

Steelhead Stomach Contents

Makes you think about what to use for colors, and whether or not steelhead eat, don't eat, etc....

First inklings of spring (Lower Sacramento River, CA)

• We are just starting to see those spring-time caddis (Brachycentrus).
   
• temps are supposed to hit 70*F on Thursday.  This will result in some excellent caddis hatches on the Lower Sac, so fishing should be pretty good.

OR-7 Wolf Remains Stationary in Northern California
…still in Lassen County.

Snowpack concerns (Catskills, NY)
I hope the “Winter” has been treating you well. I put Winter in ””since we really have not had much of one up here in Starlight, with only one storm dropping enough snow to mention…. Let’s hope that February decides to send us a big pile of the white stuff, otherwise we will be starting VERY early this season.

Montana?  Winter? (Bighorn, MT)
It’s 50 degrees. Sunny. Beautifully Calm. Let the season begin.

Yellowstone – same question
If you can believe it, it's January and there's still floatable stretches on the Yellowstone right now...

Well, at least it looks wintry

 

Yakima River Winter Wonderland
(date/time of picture unclear)

Skwala cloud (Yakima, WA)
Driving through the Canyon yesterday the windshield was plastered with Skwala's

…yet “…the Skwala hatch is still a month out but we are getting really excited.” ??? (Yakima, WA)

Yakima Skwala tutorial

Shad for lunch, anyone? (White River, AR)
heavy generation has brought some shad through the dam which is something we look forward to happening most years.  Two weeks ago some came through and were floating on the surface but mostly they came through alive as you could see the balls of shad making their way down stream with the current.  It did turn the river on to white and shad flies for a bit. 

Good enough (San Juan, NM)
this sport is comprised of much more than every moment being a golden moment, and those who love it and do it enough, know that there is enjoyment enough in those times when the fishing is just-- good enough… So every day doesn't have to be epic, but they can be memorable, after all.

More profundity (Truckee, CA)
The best day to fish is whenever you can get out there.

Insanity (Washington)
History repeats itself. We’d done this exact same thing last year, showing up one day after the WDFW closed the best part of the river… These repetitions remind me of that saying about doing the same thing over and over and hoping for different results being the definition of insanity. …We fish hard until dark without a grab. And I think of the echoes, the way we live in looping circles.

Not your typical conservationist
Moon has been described as a raw and humorous teller of tales and one of the most non-politically correct voices of our times. A self described elitist redneck, hero to none and a legend in his own mind…

Montana Fly Shop Opportunity – still available
Interested in working in one of Montana’s best fly shops and fishing the waters around West Yellowstone every day of the season?

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