Memorial Day Rainbows

I decided that after reading all these different blogs I finally wanted to start one of my own: a cool way to record some sweet days on the water.  Well, here goes…

I woke up to a cold and gray Memorial Day. I wanted to fish and hoped that the bad weather meant a few less people on the water. I got to the stretch that I had planned on fishing to find a couple other cars in the area. No biggie. The nymphing was pretty slow and I’ve always love streamer fishing anyway so I tied on one of my favorites – a big grey and yellow double bunny.

The stretch I was fishing was pretty deep and I got no love the first few casts. The opposite bank looked pretty good with a more gradual grade into the water. With the fastest current right down the middle I threw a pretty big mend in the line before I started stripping. I finally got the cast I wanted and I watched the end of my fly line as the current carried it and I saw it hang up so I set the hook. I felt a heavy headshake. Ya! He felt pretty good and he definitely put up a good fight. After I got it close I was pleasantly suprised to see that it was a nice rainbow. A fat hen. She came out to 21 inches- my nicest of the day and one of my biggest fish from lower Provo River. She was a fatty and had a bum right eye.

There were a couple people upstream so I got out and went to explore some water a little lower downstream. I came up to a slight bend with some slower deeper water on the outside of the bend. The current was fast in the middle so I figured it would be a great spot for some fishies to be chillin’ picking up some bugs as the faster current brings them by. My next and last bow of the day came on my second or third cast through this bend. A plump male at probably 14 or 15 inches. He had a beautiful pink gill plate and soft pink lateral line down the side. Stoked.

I worked my way upstream and got into a couple little browns. I couldn’t believe how cold it was for mid-May. I was ready to call it a day. A good break from the daily grind for sure.