When I was Gregory's age, I learned to use a butterfly net to catch minnows.
I bought a butterfly net.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/9BPxhP6.jpg[/img]Tied some streamies.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/ZGxp0ah.jpg[/img]Fished some new stuff.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/XsvGV6j.jpg[/img]This is my friend Adam. He and I have been fishing together a lot this year.
He can fish and row. He's fucking hilarious and grows some dank ass weed.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/zazydyv.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/CUbARwG.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/qvbMvqa.jpg[/img]Lando called about a thing.
Two days after my second child was born, it just so happened that we could meet up with Willi and Ramcatt for one of the silliest days of fishing I've ever had. It was nuts.
I needed a good dose of capr.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/nyXD8IH.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/Rz503xE.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/RF7McmB.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/lTq2wuV.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/ZXKblgX.jpg[/img]Lando gave me an opportunity to pole a boat for my second time ever.
It only went slightly better than the first time, despite there being zero W.
Somehow Lando managed to catch one while I was holding the push pole in my hands.
We need to get Lando back to the saltwater.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/f3QGrt5.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/3rAoRlM.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/V6NQldn.jpg[/img]Runoff came and went uneventfully. We fished right through it.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/wRJ75EJ.jpg[/img]Dries, even.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/a6q4joG.jpg[/img]We continued our intense regimen of training/brainwashing.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/bplBXOk.jpg[/img]I like to fish hoppers all season long, which is something I think most people don't do.
Here is a June hopper fish.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/LOBpKmG.jpg[/img] I FINALLY floated my local. This is a small river with a limited floating season, and no real established put in or take out.
Inside knowledge and a flexible schedule are required, in addition to the right boat which I don't have.
The coolest part is I can almost throw a rock (or trout) to the put in from my house.
We splashed the boat then parked in my driveway.
There are rapids.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/2796xkp.jpg[/img]And unethical anglers.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/A7jxyTO.jpg[/img]And fences.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/QUUMEMM.jpg[/img]Meanwhile, back at that one place, I had been experiencing some of the best big fish dry fly fishing I've ever had.
I convinced Willi to make the long trek over. I knew he would do well, and he did.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/oGoI84K.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/ZFK7ASq.jpg[/img]My father in law caught a tiny trout and we were all stoked about it.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/FhQjbP9.jpg[/img]Goat roper stoneflies were tied. Purple was a new variation.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/uz5FFmQ.jpg[/img]They worked. Really well.
[IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170718/5d9d917c77242dc5a831256626fe2ecc.jpg[/IMG]Boat ramp double.
[IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170718/fbae552288c965fc10aa50f5bd2a5de1.jpg[/IMG]Scouting new stuff.
[IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170718/aebc5fc4ca1b424f35a6101a9f01372b.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170718/d860af23ba6b77b1ed252422e72ecbff.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170718/9a67b410add0cecb1def49c2e8687146.jpg[/IMG]That brings us to the end of June, which was one of the best months of my life.
But the beginning of July brought major milestone.
By now you've seen lots of photos of Gregory holding fish. He's 3. He didn't catch any of those. I did.
One day, that all changed.
We found the right place on the right day and everything lined up. He did it all himself. Sure, I coached and netted the fish, but I didn't touch the rod. He caught three brook trout in about 30 minutes.
I've tried to explain to many people how important this was for me and most of them don't get it. I think you guys get it without me having to spell it out for you.
Hopefully he will remember this day as fondly as I do, and then realize it was extra cool because the fish were caught on grasshoppers.
[IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170718/982aadcc66679eddbbe985caab6ff528.jpg[/IMG]
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[IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170718/656bcb19c8af61e43741b1b12bcbbe89.jpg[/IMG]
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[IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170718/538efa05d783bfde10e9af936bd9cf5f.jpg[/IMG]That's it for tonight.
Tomorrow is November 26 and it's supposed to be over 60 degrees. I've got the boat loaded for a family float and everyone is asleep.
It will be Lee's first time on the water.
- By dmicus
- By fishskibum
- By fly-chucker