Rick Gives Thanks for Trout...

What would Thanksgiving be with a trip to "The Ford"? I finally found a day to get out with Boyd Robertson, a neighbor and fellow fly-fisherman. And he gets a special guest post on the blog.

 

Arrived fairly late (10:30 am) but no cars at the lower parking area. Beautiful sunny day, but I'm partial to snow and sleet for the best fishing this time of year at the Ford. Lots of weeds still in the water in the run above the lower bridge, only strippable from the corner to the bridge.

 

First cast at the corner above the lower bridge brought a wake and strike on the green bunny, good pull, but missed the hook. I wish that was a sign for how the fishing would be for the day, but it wasn't quite that good - until the end. I found some, but most of the wakes did not end in a take. I watched some smaller ones right in front of me at the bridge that would follow it in with a wake and almost have their mouth around it, but never close the deal. Boyd had some better luck fishing with a secret "fly" that I won't share here, but action wasn't wild and crazy. I tried a little in the skinny water, not too many fish down there, and no action on what I tossed their way. Some fish below the bridge and off the peninsula above the dam.

 

Boyd and a little guy

Mid-afternoon Boyd headed up the east side to the middle skinny, and a little later as I left the bridge to follow him up, I noticed a truck with blue tanks in the back drive up to the edge of the creek - I should have given that a little more thought...but we found no people and a few fish in the middle skinny. Heading back down I had lots of wakes, no takes, at almost every opening I fished. Boyd caught a couple more. Approaching the bridge, there were four guys lining the path to the bridge, hauling in fish after fish.  Yup, the truck had dumped a load of 18" to 20" fat, silver-bright, hungry trout. Boyd caught 18 from the east side down below the bridge, I caught not that many fishing above the bridge, but it was pretty fortunate timing. Wish I had stayed to see what was in the truck....But the action was fast and fun until almost dark, when we called it a day and headed home.