There is a time in every fly fisherman's life, that he or she has a special day with just "one fly". For some, it happens more often. But, for me, I'm usually happy if two or three flies are working well on a trip out. If memory serves me right, I don't think that I have had an outing where "one fly" gave more than several dozen netted.
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As the afternoon wore on, I kept looking at this magical fly. A bit tattered with ends unraveling. What once was tight, now was loose. (That sounds like my skin) Yes, this was not the prettiest fly. It was downright ugly! But, it was beautiful in my eyes as it had caught close to thirty fish. Could it keep going? Would I finally lose it under a rock or in a tree? Oh, I didn't even want to venture such a thought. I could stick it in my hat right now and call it good. And leave it there for old time sake as a remembrance of a great day on the water. Where had the time gone? The sun had moved it's position in the sky.
I looked at the clock for the first time that day. Ohhh... It was already that time that I was supposed to be back at the car. It was time to go home. Time had flown by and those boots had to go in the direction of the car now. The slow walk back had me shaking my head how incredible the day had been. There isn't a better feeling than being in the zone while fishing. You don't always see things happen quickly and easily... There are challenges in fly fishing. And that is why it intrigues me. But, once in awhile, we have that special day. As I put my gear back into the car, I reached into my fly box to retrieve the "one fly" that would be stuck into my hat and to never be used again. As I looked at my weather app, I noticed something startling. The barometer was falling. I had hit the front of a storm... Don't ever tell me it doesn't effect the fish. Lol.
The day needed to be capped off in style. A cozy restaurant in the canyon that has a few peacocks strolling the grounds was a perfect spot to unwind and enjoy the outside table on the porch.
Did I say that it was a perfect day? That one on the left is mine. A garlic bleu burger that is undoubtedly the best I've had. Yummy!
After using a single fly all day long, I had to look up the "single fly" competitions that I have always heard about. No, I'm not ready to enter into one. Haha. But, this is what they are about.
The Utah Single Fly, held on Utah's beautiful Green River, is a fly fishing tournament whose goal is to raise funds to support TU's work to protect and restore streamflows in Utah and to fight the spread of aquatic invasive into Utah waters.
Teams consist of four anglers. One fly per angler, one point per trout caught and released added to the total inches of two measured trout. A “big trout bonus” of 5 points for a trout of 20‐22”. “super
big trout bonus” of 10 points for a trout >22”.
I've heard that these are fun competitions for a great cause. Now, I look up to those who have entered, as it isn't the easiest to select the "one fly" that takes in all your fish. = )
Don't think I've ever had a "one" fly day. If you ever get over on the North Coast, you have to stop at Queenie's in the town of Elk, CA. The wife is not a hamburger person, but she claims their blue cheese burger is to die for. Place is so good it made it to Drive-ins, Diners, and Dives. Guy Fieri knows burgers. We'll be back there come July when we camp at Hendy Woods State Park.
ReplyDeleteMark ~ That guy knows good food. He came here for a Mexican Restaurant review. I probably won't ever see a fly last that long again. But, it was a heck of a fun day.
DeleteI think it's pretty rare for a fisherman to only have to use one fly, what with trees, rocks and the one that gets away. (with your fly) You might remember that I had a one fly day on Clear Creek a couple of years ago. Of course I didn't catch 30 fish and none of them weighed more than around a pound.
ReplyDeleteHoward ~ That is still quite the achievement! Mainly because you are known for tangled lines which usually come from finding a tree. I am more of a fly loser among rocks. I snag quite a few underneath as I put on a lot of weight when I fish. So, it was quite the miracle that this fly stayed on all day. =)
ReplyDeleteWell, my dear, I have fished a lot of water on a lot of days over many years and can count on one finger all the days where I had to use only one fly..........
ReplyDeleteSo, my message is those are special days for "special anglers". Take care of you for me.
Thanks for dropping by, Gramps! We have missed you!
DeleteRD
ReplyDeleteI can relate to your story; and yes the barometer is key when you hit that magic time when the fish are most active. I hope you don't lose that fly. Quality brown for sure, were they all browns? Thanks for sharing
Bill ~ All Browns All Day Long!! This stream has an occasional cutthroat and rainbow, but I haven't seen them for a few years now.
DeleteWow, that sounds like an incredible outing.
ReplyDeleteYou know us tenkara guys believe in "one fly" but not necessarily literally.
That's awesome, especially considering no matter how good the fly it's always seemingly destined to fall victim to a rock, downed log, or tree branch.
BTW, that burger looks amazing. After all that catching, I'd probably eat two.
Michael ~ It's time for you to get that plane ticket. There is a river that is calling your name. = ) That was a 1/3 lb burger and it was plenty, believe me!
DeleteThere's a single fly comp in SC I have looked at. It's a redfish one fly tournament. I don't have a ton of redfish knowledge and I know even less about the area. I figured though one fly gives you a better chance than in other circumstances. I'm still considering it. I'm sure it would take the ego down a few notches more than anything else. Unless you won of course.
ReplyDeleteHi Kev! Ya know, what is it that they say... You'll never know unless you try. Even if you didn't win, you could say that you gave it your best shot.
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