Spring fever is over.....another winter has passed, thank goodness

The deep freeze of my thoughts are thawing this last two weeks.   With the warmer temps, the longer days, the ice in the recesses of my mind is melting.   I have done more winter fishing this year than ever in the past.  That in itself is amazing for me, as it is difficult to find open stream water in the high country, and water that is not too icy to approach.   Near the dam area on the Thompson, only water I could find not iced up, I was able to land a nice 14" brown on the Big T in early March, on a tiny zebra.   Felt like I was bringing in a head of cabbage, nice boy he was...so pretty.  But it comes with a cost in March, winds.  Wind knots, not the kind from casting, oh no, ones from following up re-rigging...dang anyway.  Getting casting down with winds is a trick, not for the weary at heart.  This entire winter has been a lesson chart.

But yesterday, in the lower Big T, near Drake, the water was clear as tap water, full of fish, and some little bugs were starting to flitter around, maybe BWO's I am not sure.  I matched them up and sure enough fish on.   Rewarding.

Looking down at my boots yesterday while cleaning off my flies I see this beautiful rainbow slowly gliding between by boots, just sitting there.   Eating a bit...of something I sure I raised up earlier.  But it was only 6 inches of water....funny fish.  They know that boots mean food...smart fish.  They must see a lot of them.

I had a dry and a midge set up, and the dry took the fish.  And the fish it took really checked it out, and not far from me.   Fly stayed right in front of fish, yay, that was great for me, didn't float down with current.  Then he backed up, textbook fish, moved up, moved up more and then snapped the fly.  Fun to watch it so close up.  Made me laugh out loud.  The fish in that stream can be tricky at times.   I had on 7x though, maybe that helped.

We saw a very large fish, maybe 22" in this area, low in the water between two rocks.  Moulted look to him, not sure why some get that way.   Like camouflage.   Wondered about him.

My fish that hooked up right in front of me will never get that big being so silly...but maybe he knew the game, I catch you, you help, I free you and then give you a "free Willy" goodbye....all in fun and never will I hurt you...my favorite game.

My first time with 26 hooks, no wonder I get happy to catch fish, just finding the eyes of those hooks is not fun on the water....how tiny.   And then someone tells me a 28 is working...ok then, something new to practice.

Springtime in the Rockies!