Some Exciting Updates.... and the White Bass Run

Needless to say, I've gotten far behind on this blog.  Senior year is flying by and I have a lot of work to do on my final project.  After that, it'll be smooth sailing.

A quick update: I recently began working at Moving Water Outfitters, the local fly shop.  I currently work Saturdays, and will probably work often during the summer.  Working in a fly shop has been a dream job of mine for a few years, and it's just as fun as I'd hoped.  Even when I have to take inventory of flies (we have over 1000 egg flies in stock, by the way), I always manage to enjoy every day in the shop.  Another benefit: we are located less than 500 feet from the nearest creek, which has been on fire lately.

A few weeks ago, Bobby and I went out to the creek to check it out.  The town recently stocked rainbow trout in the creek, and everyone wants to fish for them.  We went searching for trout, but instead found much better fishing for another species.

We went to a certain park that is rarely fished.  This is because parking is a half mile from the water, and few people want to make the hike.

The first hole we hit had fast water.  I mean fast. Water was rushing over a barrier made of large boulders, creating a miniature waterfall section. I could not get a fly down.  Bobby fished a rooster tail spinner and hooked up a few times.  His first fish was a 16 inch trout.  We could not believe that the stockers had already grown to such sizes.  He caught one more, then pulled in a lone white bass.  This got us wondering if the run had started yet.  We headed downstream towards the reservoir to see if we could find more.

There was another hole with the same structure of rocks all the way across the river, with incredibly fast flows.  I waded in below the falls and cast a small yellow and chartreuse clouser.  I let it swing through the end of the run, then it got smacked.  The hook slipped and I cast again.  Immediately, a fish grabbed it and tried to run.  I pulled him back in.  It was only a ten inch white bass.  Bobby and I took turns, landing two apiece from the tailout.




Then, we waded 50 yards upstream to a sand bar. 
There was a nice looking run, so we both cast directly downstream and retrieved.  Bobby immediately caught a white bass.  I did too.  they were both over 13 inches and fought hard.  We immediately released them and cast again, with immediate hookups.  This continued for probably 35 minutes.  I have no clue how many fish we caught, but I'd say probably upwards of 30.  It was the most regular fishing I'd ever had.  We rarely made more than one cast without a fish, and every cast got a bite.  After years of trying, I'd finally cracked the run head-on, and the fishing could not have been easier.





When it started to get dark, the fishing slowed down.  By this, I mean we caught a fish every 3 or 4 casts.  Once the sun set and we could barely see, we decided we had better head back.  We both knew we had just hit a once-in-a-year night of fishing.  What a day!