More Trout Spotting on the Plains

"There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm"
  --Willa Cather

This past long weekend (Monday) the weather report looked good: mainly sunny in the morning with a few clouds and then a chance of thunderstorms in the late afternoon. So I planned another trip to a river on the prairies hoping to spot trout as I've had some success the past couple of weeks sight fishing. 




promising morning

I left early hoping to take advantage of the sunlight and blue sky. While driving out of the mountains onto the flats, I started to see a lot of water on the road (puddles) and in the ditches. It looked like there had been a downpour overnight.




old reservation gas station: closed

 

When I got to the river it was somewhat milky looking...not great for sight fishing. Clearly, the area had experienced heavy rain. As I hiked the coulees I started noticing deep mounds of hail in the shadowy crevasses. The ground was mushy and water was draining from everywhere into the river. I didn't look like the river was about to clear anytime soon. As I walked the bluffs I didn't see any fish. The visibility wasn't great. I did see some clouds of Trico mayflies hovering over the water but no risers below.




hail


When I reached the section I wanted to fish I spotted a pair of rainbows eating nymphs 2 or 3 feet below the surface on a current edge fairly close to the bank. They were quite active. A good sign. On occasion one would rise close to the surface. I dropped down to the water and fished a terrestrial pattern hoping to pull one up. No luck. So I climbed back up to my lookout point to see if they were still around. They were harder to spot this time. They had moved deeper and further out in the main flow. I said to myself, "rest the spot and return".


I hiked further upstream. Clouds started developing in the distance. Between the clouds and off coloured water, spotting fish became a real challenge. I felt I only had a chance if one was in very shallow water and near river's edge. I didn't see any fish upstream even though I walked the rim of the coulee and carefully scanned below. A territorial hawk kept buzzing me. It was unnerving how close he came to my head and the loud sound of him ripping through the air. I was spending more time looking out for him than for trout. Eventually I cowered and retreated, and decided to returned to where I had spotted the two rainbows earlier. They were still visible and feeding. I fished the same terrestrial pattern but this time with a nymph dropper two feet below. After all, sometimes you have to listen to "What the Trout Said" (Datus Proper). After a couple of casts, Bingo! My only fish of the day...but a good one. One good fish can make a day.

sight fished rainbow

I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring river sections I have never fished before and planning for future sight fishing outings. I spooked several fish in the grey light that I never had a chance to see. Several impressive wakes moved from the shallows to deeper water. They seemed big. The weather condition continued to worsen: menacing storm clouds came in along with rain and thunder. With the moisture and low light, life started spilling out all over the place. Huge deer appear from out of nowhere. Many large birds of prey began circling overhead: Osprey and Golden Eagles. I hung in there dodging hawks and lightening bolts but it never cleared. The place was simply full of life and energy. To be utterly spellbound by nature.. that I was. I have to go back there.






returning home: prairies to mountains