An Amaya-zing Day

Today was a return to my happy place, The Creek, but for the first time with Amaya, who married our son Brian last year.  You may remember Amaya from when I went along in 2018 on their fishing date, the first time she'd been fishing since childhood and the first time ever fishing with an artificial fly.

(See:  http://fishingwiththemerrillboys.blogspot.com/2018/08/along-for-fishing-date-at-9000-feet.html?m=0 

Monday, August 27, 2018 Along for a fishing date at 9,000 feet)

We chose a stretch of the creek where a fire burned through a few years ago and had removed much of the surrounding (and overhanging) brush so it was a little more open, at least in some places.  I dropped my fly in where I was getting ready to step in to start, and was promptly rewarded with an average rainbow who immediately attacked the Renegade I'd tied on to start.  Good omen.

There were still some burnt tree remnants overhanging where we stepped into the creek so Brian and I fished the first few yards until we got to where Amaya could cast without hitting those trees. We each had a fish before it was Amaya's turn.  Within the first few casts she had a fish to the fly.  However, it was "faster than I ever would have expected" according to her and it was a missed fish.  The first, but definitely not the last of the day--for any of us!

Since we take turns casting, changing after each catches a fish, it was definitely in my and Brian's interest for Amaya to successfully hook and land one so we could get back to fishing, so we did all we could to help her get into the rhythm.  She did land her first one pretty quickly--still in the first hole where she started, and Brian and I each managed to find fish and get it back to Amaya for a repeat performance, which she executed admirably well.

So it went through the afternoon, back and forth between us, enjoying the beautiful stream and the beautiful fish.  Avoiding the stinging nettle with our arms and tree branches with our flies.  Taking the occasional extra casts when one of us snagged up forward and had to be in the "penalty box" while the others executed the "power play" until we got to the point of hookup and released the snagged fly and resumed our "turn".  

Occasionally, when the grass was overhanging or encroaching and there was less than a foot of water even available, Amaya would say, "I think that's too narrow for me to cast the fly.  You go ahead."  Music to my ears.  Good reason we love that girl!  Brian and I had quite a few in those tough to cast spots so when we got to a nice open run, our consciences got the best of us and we let Amaya cast first.  She had several come to her fly and finally hooked a nice rainbow.

Our consciences still said we'd caught way too many fish in the "narrow" spaces, so we let her keep fishing.  As she gradually worked her way upstream, casting left to the grassy bank, center in the current, right along the watercress, she kept finding another fish, then another, until finally she had landed eight in that short stretch.

Our consciences eased at this point and Brian and I each cast into the next long quiet stretch and landed several before we got up to where there was a little more current and Amaya could cast more easily. I asked her what time Mary said dinner would be.  Amaya replied that she said 4:30 was dinner time.  A quick look at my watch told me it would be just shy of 5:00 to get home if we left right them.  I said we'd better each catch one more, then head home.

Amaya went first and she promptly hooked and landed another one.  Next was my turn.  Nothing where normally we find several.  Up a little higher near some branches dragging in the I current found one hiding there who nosed out and sipped my fly.  Okay Brian, your turn.  Cast, cast, cast.  Finally dangling it under water to where he can at least see some small ones near the bottom. Nope.

Not to be denied, Brian pushed through the brush to the next run and promptly found his final fish.  NOW we could go.  

Once we got back to the car we had some ice water in our Nalgene bottles that we'd brought with us.  Nice and cool and wet.  Brian commented to Amaya, "Imagine it's this hot and you start and 5:00 in the morning with Tom and finally around noon you get back to the car and there's maybe some warm water you can drink while you drive to another spot to go fishing."  We let Amaya know we like her so well, we even bring ice water for her enjoyment as well as our own.