A couple of buddies and I dropped into the Great Rift. Temps were below freezing at the start and when it did finally warm (to the high 30’s) the wind whipping up canyon still made it chilly. A storm had passed through the day before, leaving a nice mantle of snow on the Sangria de Christos. It raised the water levels a bit and reduced the water clarity down to maybe 8-12”.
We boulder hopped about 1/2 mile down river and started fishing back up. I ended up starting about 150 yds below the others. It was slow, between conditions and the fact that this is a Brown water, and it was post-spawn. After about a 1/2 hour, I was dredging the bottom with a Frenchy when the line dipped.Thinking it was hung up, I gently lifted, only to find the line snapping tight.
A couple of jumps and a sleigh ride down river and Miss Nona had her first fish. I’m sorry for the crap photos. I was smoked from boulder hopping and playing a fish on a 3wt, but a very fat Bow came to hand.
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The rest of the day was a picking of smaller Browns, Bows, and a single Cutt, all of which when weighed probably wouldn’t equal the first fish. Interestingly, 5 came on the lift, just prior to loading up for a tension cast. And 2 came from “trolling” my flies while walking upstream. Numbers, yes, satisfying? No...
I closed out with a decent Brown, and with one of the fellows closed by, got a right and proper photo with the net. All in all, a good day and an excellent start for Miss Nona.
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Thanks again! This community is the finest.
