Slate Run, and more specifically, Cedar Run recorded almost two inches of rainfall between about 3 pm Sunday, May 15th through 6 pm Monday, May 16th. Again, the Big Creek, Pine Creek, was getting down there where it could stand a shot of rain like this. So it has swelled a bit and is off color, but not that sort of ‘coffee with milk’ sort of look at the moment. The gauge rose to 3.12 feet and has been falling since. The trees have sprung their leaves out now also. Generally there is accepted thinking that this will mean Pine will drop faster than in the days before leaf-out. So, time will tell. But, there’s fishing to be had if you know where and how to go about it.

So I get to my spot and I do see some fish working. I threw a March Brow Emerger for a few casts before I switched over to a MB Sparkle Dun. The first Brookie, rather self-explanatory – but the ‘First 2nd Cast Brookie’ – allow me to elaborate. It’s the situation where you’ve just caught a fish and on your very next cast, you catch another fish. In this case, a Brookie – the First, 2nd Cast Brookie!

A few more casts & I catch another Brookie. And… you’ve guessed it, the second, Second Cast Brookie!

I catch another Brookie for good measure.

Just when one might be getting ‘all Brookied out’ …

Most of the hits I did not ‘see’ the fish take the fly. I lost sight of the fly more times than when I saw the drift on this outting. So what do you do? Well, try to broaden your focus and just react to rises in the general area where you think your fly is positioned. I would see a splash some distance off my calculated target – and hooked up more times than not. Another trick I try to employ is to focus on where I thought my fly landed and follow the water as it flows back to me. If you see a little debris or a turbluence that seems to move with the water as it flows – that will help follow the basic area where your fly should be. I did miss one or two but I (a ‘Dutch Fetter reference) “only caught several” Brookies by reacting to what I thought were possible hits on general locations of where I thought my fly might be.

The Brown, I never saw the take! I saw my line pause or start to move and I lifted the rod tip! To my surprise there was something on the end!

A year ago I was concerned that all the fish in ‘my spot’ were Brookies. I’m not as concerned now after the past 30 day’s ‘survey’ by fishing.

Oh, one last observation, the Brown’s tail!

I do not remember seeing a trout with it’s tail partly orange. I’ve seen where an orange/golden hue was throughout the tail, but this coloration seems to be located just on the ventral side of the tail. Real interesting! I realize full well that this fish is probably not that old – I’m guessing that this fish may be between 2 and 3 years old. But “Ol’ Orange Tail” has a better ring to it I thought. I suppose I’m taking ‘artistic license’? Well, if you don’t like it, fire me , please…and you can take over writing these posts!

Walking back

I’ve seen the millipedes before and I don’t know what the flowering plant is that I saw while strolling back to the car. The day was bright, pleasant with air temperatures in the high 60s or low 70s. I didn’t take a stream temperature but it was sufficiently cold. I did see a few bugs on the water but I fished the March Brown Sparkle Dun and then the extended body style March Brown that I have tied in the past. It may have been more sized to a Grey Fox rather than a large MB.

Pine will take some time to come down but if you know how, you can find some places to fish even with this high-ish water.

Reporting from Slate Run, and until we see each other again… UB