Winter is officially over...

Winter is officially ended with a beautiful, sunny day of trout fishing.  Started at the Ford (well, after the #7 meal with O.J. at McD's).  One car at each of the first two parking areas, no cars at the last one (by noon when I left, there were 9 cars at the third parking area!).  Things were a little slow, more Ford-like than the last couple trips where the fish were waking regularly after a rapidly stripped fly.  No chases at all this time with a fast strip of a skinny green leech above the bridge (perhaps the water is colder).  Landed one below the bridge swinging/slow stripping the leech. 

Dumb fish flipped right before I took the picture, ruining his great colors reflecting the early morning sun

Moved down to the skinny water and hooked nice one on a small prince nymph, but it broke off.  Farther down the skinny water, there was no sign of fish, so came back up and tried small nymphs and stripping small and large flies.  Some of the little holes were packed with something like a dozen 20" to 25"+ fish, and I broke a couple off on the hit while stripping, but managed to catch only one very small fish, about 7".  Went back above the bridge, and just before leaving, hooked and landed a 26" football.  A good way to end the morning at the Ford.

This thing hand measured at 26"; took a while to get in on 5x tippet

With the whole day free, I decided to stop at Little Nunya "on the way" home, not knowing if it would be fishable with the snow that has been melting.  Approaching from the north, I was happy to see clear water, which though a bit high, was fishable at the bridge.  Rigging up, I realized I had left my psycho prince box at home!  Luckily, I had some other similar nymphs.  Caught four under the bridge, about twenty from the hole above the bridge, and only one from the little run above that (it was pretty fast water there).  Size was much better than the summertime, with all but a couple in the 10" to 13" range.  Funny thing was, didn't see a fish anywhere else below the bridge.  I started walking down to the falls, but noticed a large No Trespassing or Fishing or Hunting sign on the other side of the river where the fence is.  I don't remember seeing that before, so unless we can find someone to ask permission, that stretch may be lost to us.  Sad!

Beautiful rainbow from Little Nunya