I think my patience with the Covid-19 issue is starting to run short. Witnessing the surges throughout the country is depressing to say the least. I’m finding that I’m complaining internally and letting it dominate my thoughts at times. Although my personal belief is that the generations which endured the World Wars had it much harder than I do with Covid-19. I suppose it’s just being human though – that I get cranky and whiny when things don’t go my way over an extended period of time. Then I usually say (inside my head) “Suck it up, this is nothing compared to what people had to deal with in WWII”. I’m not going to get into fault and responses to the issue – I just wish we were better prepared to handle something like this. Maybe we can be in the future. Enough of this!

I went fishing up the run today, probably for the last time this year. I’ve been reminded recently that I could be a little more secretive about the spots I fish. While I haven’t given gps coordinates or exact locations, I can appreciate it when someone who has been in the area a whole heck of a lot longer than I have been visiting says something. So I’ll just say I went up one of the runs today!

I’ve taken to picking and choosing my spots and time spent actually fishing as I’ve grown older. When I first started fly fishing, I’d take 4, 5, 6 hours to fish a stretch, walk a lot of miles, and see a lot but not catch a lot. Now I am familiar with the spots I want to hit, walk minimally to them, and usually catch as many or more fish than I did when I started out.

I’ve noticed that I notice a bit more now than when I was younger perhaps. Each season has something to offer as far as what to see. Spring and summer certainly offer a lot of new grow observations. Fall witnesses the decline of the yearly growth. But I do like to be able to see right into the mountains this time of year. There’s lots of rock cliffs you don’t see in the summer in the area.

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Today’s fishing: I watched a little while when I got into position. Saw one rise and thought a surface fly might do the trick. I started with and stuck to a Blue Winged Olive. It might have been a little big but the fish didn’t seem to care. I think I used a size 14 – first a Compara Sparkle Dun (biot body) style. Lost that fly and switched to a parachute style – luckily for me the fish didn’t care today!

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As I worked up the spot, a couple of ‘better than others’ came to the fly and hand.

In these sorts of waters, they’re all trophies. But this next to last one (above) was lined up with the rod to measure later. Was about 9″ to 9″ 1/2″ – no monster but a decent fish from one of my favorite spots.

Just to show that I can catch little fish too…

I had switched over to a red caddis. When I flicked it out to manage some line, a little guy attacked it. Then I cast to an especially good spot and … well I caught the above. Not the lunker I was expecting.

I relocated to one more spot in the run. Didn’t get any interest at ‘the square rock’ and was a little surprised by this. So I flicked the red caddis up to the next pool/run and BAM – a really colorful bellied fish took the fly. I skimmed the fish down to the hole I was positioned on and proceeded to allow it to slip off. No picture, no admiration, no luck! So the last fish of 2020 got away! This will gnaw at me – only slightly over the winter. The one that gets away is always a little bigger, a little more colorful, a little more special isn’t it?

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It was a beautiful fall day up Slate Run. Was in the 50s for sure, might have hit 60. When I drove up, I didn’t see as many people in their cabins as I saw when I drove back down. I believe they were hunters mostly (although I did see one person at a camping area dressed in waders).

Till I get back here next spring to see these spots again, these pictures and memories will have to do.

Till we see each other again, hang in the folks!

From Slate Run… UB