I took the weekend off from fishing which is the exact opposite of my normal weekend warrior flyfisherman condition.  I’ve been on a much needed vacation from work and had been fishing or driving to go fishing every day for a week.  I decided on a weekend hiatus but fishing begins again tomorrow…

After successful trips to the Olympic Peninsula for Steelhead and camping/hiking & fishing for Westslope Cutthroat in Idaho (trip report forthcoming), I had planned on relaxing last Friday.  However, I made the mistake of checking the river flows and when I saw they were finally dropping a bit, I just couldn’t keep from making an afternoon run to the little river I consider my ‘home water’.  It’s still a 45min drive but it’s the closest place I can count on fishing completely by myself almost all the time with a bit of hiking.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Gierach has an essay in his latest book No Shortage Of Good Days on the subject of a flyfisherman’s home water where he says:  “Your home water eventually gets under your skin and begins to define you as a fisherman…”

I don’t know if my home water defines me as I really like to swing flies with a 13′ two-handed spey rod, but this little stream despite its small fish and other flaws does get under my skin.  I don’t even need to fish it that much anymore, just being there is good for me as  I wander to boulder strewn runs looking for an interesting slot or eddy to hit.  Seeing how far away I can control my drift or hit a dinner plate sized lie has become the game.  Friday, it was just cool to sit and watch the water at this pool for 30min before I ever bothered to cast.  Due to the flows, this was the first time I had been to this stream since the low water scouting trips of pre-runoff spring a few month back.  It was great to be back home…

I fished into the early evening, exploring a few spots that I had scouted but where I hadn’t actually tossed a fly.  Even though the river flows are still significantly (about 30%) higher than what I consider optimal, the fish were looking up and readily took dry flies.  I caught one memorable fish, fairly large for this river.  I usually only catch a couple in this size each season to go along with a couple hundred of the little guys.

I was using a very interesting rod that I acquired this winter.  It is a Thomas & Thomas Whisper-Lite 7′ 2wt.  This rod is not the currently marketed Whisper-Lite.  It’s is one of the original graphite rods from the mid-late 80′s.  It is featured in a 1988 catalog I have so it’s at least that old.  It has the same appointments and grip shape as many of their classic bamboo rods but with the old style translucent gray blank.  It it crazy light at only 1 3/8 oz.  The handle is barely big enough to accommodate my hand.  I was very surprised at the sweetness of the action.  It was a little gusty but when I had a break in the wind, there was no problem reaching out to 40′.  However, due to the light line and medium action, it was really hard to get a solid hookset at those distances.  I’m trying to get away from a rod ‘collection’ and get to the point where I don’t have multiple rods for single uses so this will likely need to go.  It fits the same spot as the Critchfield 3wt bamboo.  I think the T&T might actually fish a little better but the Critchfield is more fun to fish, plus it smells good…