Wham, Bam, Thanks for the Slam!

I decided that it was far enough into Spring for me to fish my favoritest wild trout stream in the world! This stream is a collection of everything that I love and hold dear about trout streams! It fishes good, it's big unobstructed water with open banks, staircase plunge pools full of trout, all in all, heaven on earth for me! Relatively close to my house, I try to fish this stream 2 or 3 times a year. It's one of those streams that is so perfect, I only fish it a few times in hopes of not ruining it!

Adicus and I hit the trailhead at about 8:30 and hiked 45 minutes upstream to hit some of the better quality water. It was already 65 degrees when we hit the trail, so I was excited about the prospects of today's adventure. We finally reached our destination and it was time to gear up. Sitting next to a large pool, getting my rod strung up, I sat watching trout rise at 9:30 in the morning. Gonna be a good day! Since there is a lot of volume still running through the streams, I decided to tie on a Elk Hair Caddis, something I could see, with a soft hackle pheasant tail as the dropper. We moved back downstream about a hundred yards and started fishing.

Fishing was about how I thought it would be, HOT! My first fish was a feisty little rainbow that smacked my EHC the minute it hit the water, followed quickly by a pretty little brownie that took the dropper in the next pool up. Sweet! Two fish and I'm already 2/3 of the way to a slam! Fishing stayed consistent all morning, small bows taking the dry, larger fish taking the dropper, all rainbows at this point. Pool after pool, I was hooking up with 2, sometimes as many as 4 fish out of each run, one of the reasons I love this stream!

Around 1, Adicus and I decided to eat some lunch and just chill out for a bit. We hung out on a sandy bend, me throwing a stick for Adicus while eating a peanut butter sand which and an orange. The stick I'm throwing sinks, much to Adicus' frustration! After a few minutes of him whining about his stick being underwater, he actually dunked his head 2 1/2 feet under water and came up with his stick. I was shocked! He was pleased to have his stick!

We wrapped up lunch and continued moving upstream, picking up nice little bows out of most pools. Sometime later in the day, I was able to stick my first brookie. A nice brookie it was too! 8 1/2" of beautiful, native fish! Slam complete, on foot! My first of the year on a wild stream! Fishing continued at the earlier pace, except with a liberal mix of brook trout thrown in. Moving up the stream, it began to thunder and I looked up to see storm clouds brewing up around Pisgah, so I decided it was time to start heading back to the truck . I sat on a high rock for a minute, just enjoying this moment.

A warm breeze blowing down the valley, carrying with it, the earthy smells of spring. I can smell the moisture in the air, feel the potential rain heading my way. Leaves unfolding in their bright lime green colors, while cardinals and finches flitter amongst the branches, singing out to announce spring. The perfection of a simple spring flower catches my attention, a small clump of Bluets blooming on a rock next to the river. One of my absolute favorite wild flowers, I always smile when I see a clump growing.

Our hike out was uneventful, just 2 hours of slogging down the trail trying to get to the truck before my body gave out from exhaustion. Looking with anticipation for landmarks to signify that I'm getting close to the trailhead. Finally we arrive back at the truck, both of us wore out, pleased at the prospects of sitting on something comfortable for a bit and heading home for some dinner! The day was spectacular! I didn't see another soul all day. I have no idea how many fish I caught, only that it was a lot! This is why I wait all year for spring, not only for the great fishing, but the whole package. Wildflowers, warm breezes, near naps on sandbars at lunch, and not being cold. God, I love spring!