[VFB] Trout, rainbow beauty & fishing report

[DMurphy832]

Shhhh!!!!!  I snuck out of work yesterday and fished for a few hours on the Patuxent.  A glorious warm day it was and enlightening to boot.  Here's a synopsis of my day by subject:   The Flys- Started off with a box of flys chosen for their diversity and my desire to compare a variety of drys on trout from fingerlings on up.  Started with a #16 yellow humpy which brought up a few small trout, some to small to get hooked.  The tree ate it after quite a few casts and many missed fish.  Switched to an Adams #18 parachute and only a few fry tried to suck it down.  Went to a #16 gold stimulator and caught a trophy (more on fish #1 later).  Somewhere in between those flys I brought out one of the Wally Wings in medium dun Wally Lutz tied for me a few years back (yes Wally, I know I promised you some Murfs Hairwing Stimulators and I've had the Jiffylite addressed for a long time so I'll have to get to tying yours).  Well, Wally Wings are some exceptionally realistic flys in many ways, especially the wings.  This pattern brought up trout I had fished over earlier and had all but given up on.  My advice?  Learn to tie Wally Wings.  Hans has them on www.danica.com with a "how to" when you click on Wally Lutz.   The Stream- This is a slow rolling country freestone which can get downright too warm in the heat and drought of summer.  This year has boasted much rain and reconfigured the stream with numerous undercuts and deepish ditches.  Water was just a bit high but mostly clear.  The stream gave up many a small fish but I didn't realize how many larger trout held in the deeper pools until heading out and talking to a fellow who fished it often.  Now I have a reason to return next week.   The Fish- Quite a few 2-3" trout who were just shy of having a wide enough mouth to take my #16 flys.  A fair amount of fish in the 8-10" range and the lurkers I missed (about 17" on average according to the man I met and believe he told the truth about his last foray to this stream).  Enough talk about size.  The fish of the day was both small and had a beauty I've never seen in a stream.  The colors were just out of this world.  Weighing in at about 1-2 ounces and maybe 4" long, this was the fish of a lifetime.  I had to prod myself to release him quickly even while I stared at this kaleidiscope of color.  The trout was a rainbow but not colored like any I've seen before.  The top lateral line was a bright florescent green followed by and almost orangish red lateral streak with some bright yellow blending them together.  He had some speckling but it was the irridescence of his colors that reminded me of a dolphin (the fish [mahi-mahi], not the mammal)  just as he approaches the boat but before being removed from the water.   Was quite a nice day and I would be telling you about the larger fish if I had put on some nymphs which is what the lunkers were eating.  I enjoyed just being out and taking a few little-uns on drys.  The only soul there came in as I was leaving and is the guy I spoke of earlier.  Just a great day.   Back to tying.   Murf