Does it get any prettier?
How to summarise the last few days in a few hundred words? To paraphrase Charles Dickens, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Well, ‘worst’ might be a bit harsh. A less dramatic description would be that JD and I tag-teamed between fishing really well, and stuffing up good chances.
Win or lose, the Howqua was heavenly.
For example, yesterday, on the third cast of the day, I hooked the trout of the trip on the Howqua on a small Hares Ear nymph under a Royal Wulff, had it well under control, then I somehow ‘allowed’ it to swim into a crevice between two boulders. I got the net to within a foot of its writhing shape before the tippet broke below the jammed Wulff. That’s another one I’ll remember with a grimace for years to come.
Typical Howqua brownie.
Then later the same day when I was catching my share on the same river and thereby blunting my disappointment somewhat, JD was discovering whole new species of fly-and-leader snagging plants – usually when a nice trout was rising nearby.
JD threading the logs and sticks on the Rubicon.
Then today on the Rubicon, it was JD leading the way, while I caught willows on the backcast and failed to notice a 2ft monster chasing the fly until it was too late. Despite my personal failings, I could at least appreciate the autumn glory of trout feeding hard and visibly against a postcard backdrop.
On the PMX.
Once the air warmed up and the light improved, we could often watch two or three good fish in a single bubble-line, rising and swaying enthusiastically for food on and under the surface. While they weren’t in every section, the numbers were remarkable. When I wasn’t gardening and pruning, I caught a few on the Wulff and Caddis Grub. But JD was king, flicking his PMX and soft hackle combo over logs and under branches to confident eats from several nice browns.
Stalking Goulburn sippers. There were four good fish rising within range on this bit of river, although some other areas had none. Go figure!
All this after some reasonable fishing to Goulburn sippers on day one (Wednesday) when the level was 2500 ML/d. It’s now 3000 ML/d and with the natural stream distractions, I really can’t offer a report more recent than that.
Sipper success.
Every autumn every year, I wonder if I’m overcooking my north-east stream fishing expectations. This autumn at least, it seems not.
