So that is how you do it. I cannot tell you how much time I wasted at chopaka trying to catch those campsite fish. Next time I will have to try the armchair technique.
Thanks for the story Leland. -sean You Wrote: ---------- ARMCHAIR TROUT All weekend long, trout fed with impunity in front of our camp on Lake Chopaka. The morning sun, directly across from us, provided perfect conditions for spotting fish. We could see the trout clearly as they cruised along the edge of the submerged weedbed over the light sand and rocks searching for scud. The problem with casting to these fish was that they spooked when you walked up to the shore. But this morning, as we sat on our camp chairs up on the grass knoll enjoying the warm sun and coffee, larger trout than previously sighted were in tight and feeding. It was too much to take. I tied on a #18 olive scud, walked the 20 feet down to the waters edge and laid out a cast well out into the darker water over the weedbed. I walked backwards while stripping out flyline until I got back up to my chair. I sat down and slowly took up the slack and waited for the trout to return. I couldn't see the fly at this distance but I could see my the end of my gray floating line perfectly and I know the length of my leader. I was slowly drawing the fly to the edge of the weeds when the trout began to show again. I paused until one of the larger fish came into view before I made a couple short, subtle strips drawing the fly into the open. The trout caught sight of the movement and immediately turned and dashed to the scud. It was like catching bonefish on the flats. I stood up as the trout jumped and ran out into the lake. I soon got it on the reel, walked down to the water and brought it to hand. It was 18", fat and bright. I caught one more of about the same size and scared away another by giving my shrimp a brain - I stupidly sped up my stripping as the trout turned on the fly. It must have acted unlike any scud that trout had ever seen. It was a first for me - catching trout while seated in camp - although I hooked a fish two days earlier after I cast out a #16 Parachute Adams and laid down the rod while I was setting up camp. But that's another story. Leland. _______________________________________________________ Processed by the CommuniTech.Net Web Mail Program
