Inkling of Spring

It's in the air. Despite the snowstorms and cold temperatures, Spring is most definitely on the way and I for one am ready. I've been trying to spend some time getting ready for the upcoming season by tying flies, building rods, putting my waders back together and finishing nets. 

Last weekend I hit the wall and just had to get out, with or without company. So I loaded up and headed South hoping that the water wouldn't be too dirty with all this warm weather. I had my back up plan in place and assured the wife that it would be a short day. 

The last time I fished this stream I had an epic day so I was hopeful for a good first trip out with my new fiberglass rod. Really weird trying to cast glass after so many years of fishing with graphite! Slowing down doesn't begin to describe it, but I can definitely see how throwing one of these would help beginning casters feel the load of a rod. 

It's a nice place to get skunked

Of course, the first few likely spots produced only one half-hearted strike and I wasn't even seeing the fish who were showing me the middle fin. Finally made the connection for the first fish caught on my glass rod.

Yes, I set a fish on the ground for two seconds. Try not to lose your mind.

Taking a moment to look around I noticed a car parked not too far ahead and another fisherman wasn't too far away, so I got out and put a good half mile between us. No reason to fish in a crowd. Once I was back in the water I turned over some rocks to figure out what they'd be feeding on and found some pretty big bugs. 

Just in case you wondered where Hollywood got their ideas for aliens...

After upgrading my fly selection by a size or two the fishing really turned on and I spent the rest of the day catching a bunch of little browns on Hares Ears and Prince Nymphs.

This stream makes some pretty fish

The shadows being thrown across the stream gave me the hint that it was probably way past time to start heading home. 

There was just one spot that I had to stop and fish before I could head home, luckily it was vacant. The head of the run produced the fish of the day, on the last cast of the day (which is pretty rare for me). 

So many of these fish seem to not have many spots, kinda weird.

With that fish to hand it was definitely time to head home and face the music that was an angry wife. Luckily, she knows that I need to get out and fish in order to stay somewhat sane, especially this time of year. 

Hope you can get out,

- Kidder

Grandpa

There are times when I'm sick of being an adult. I'm not even good at adulting. But it seems that life is intent on me dealing with grownup things. One of the major things that's happened during this month of blogging silence is that my Grandpa passed away. I was down in St. George at a music educators conference (with hopes of getting some fishing in on the way home) when I got the word to hurry home. Luckily I was able to see him on Sunday before he died early Monday morning. My Grandpa was an avid fisherman and I have many great memories of bait fishing with him out on Joe's Valley Reservoir. He was also with me when I shot the second deer I ever got and was relieved when I told him I knew how to clean it out and he wouldn't have to do it. I remember spending time helping him out in his garden and him showing me how to tend to fruit trees, how to trim the lawn with sheers (and insisting on us doing it this way even though we owned an electric trimmer) and how to only pick the ripe ones. I'm lucky that he was such a huge part of my life. He'll be missed, but I'm grateful that he gave so much of his time to be with me.

Hope you can get out,

Kidder