BONEDALE FISHING REPORT #27

BONEDALE FISHING REPORT #27

BEGINNING WINTER IS AN IN-BETWEEN TIME

Everything goes blue and grey in the early winter, except the fish. The Browns get circus colors, primary and intense, but the Bows are what fascinate me the most–gunmetal flanks that take on a brilliant violet hue. The window into the river is muted by the low light, and as the fish come into view their colors pop. You’re hoping for Midge hatches or winter Stoneflies, which means nymphing the deep, late-season lies and going into zones you haven’t bothered with in months. The mystery of nymph fishing is what gives it appeal. There’s always hope some beast is foraging in a deep slot. I was fishing with an old friend, Bob Jacobson, one November and he wasn’t happy about slinging lead. We posted some nice fish here and there, but spent most of the day honking massive, snot-dripping Whitefish and one gigantic Red Horse Sucker we both thought was a world-class Brown. The Sucker was fair hooked, which is an achievement, because most of the time you hook them in the ass. After Bob landed the fish, he said, “Screw it. I don’t care if we don’t catch another thing, but I’m not bobber fishing anymore,” and proceeded to fish a small Griffith’s Gnat. After a few fishless hours he grudgingly went back to the nymph rig, and I knew our luck would turn. Almost immediately he hooked something big and lolling down the river. He put the screws to the object, but when we pulled it from the depths it was just some family’s discarded turkey carcass. I don’t think he’s thrown a deep-nymphing rig since, but the holidays are just around the corner and who knows what we might dredge out of the mighty river this November.

Live from the WORLD HEADQUARTERS

Kea C. Hause esq.

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Photo: Gunmetal Bow, Catherine Store, CO.