Sunday morning at around 7:45 AM I ended the longest skunk I am aware of in recent steeling heading history. I landed and released my first fly caught steelhead in fresh water in over 8 years of trying.
I was on the Grande Ronde this weekend for the very first time and think I have never seen a more beautiful river in my life. After stopping at the Dreams on the Fly conclave for a few minutes on Sat. I continued looking along the river looking for a suitable run to fish and was amazed at the amount of easily accessible water there.
Both above and below Troy there are miles of easy runs to fish, all right by the road along the river. The problem was, with so many choices where do you start. Yes there were quite a few anglers on the water but there seemed to be plenty of open water if you drove a little further up or down stream.
Sat. afternoon I fished my 10�-6� 8 wt. with a black skunk and black muddler on the surface and enticed several nips at the fly but no takers. Since it was getting late and my wife Sarah was with me I decided to call it a day and head out early Sunday morning while she was still asleep and have my pick of runs to fish.
Let me tell you that there is hardly a more beautiful sight I can think of than driving down into the Grande Ronde river valley at sunrise from the 4000 ft elevation above to the river. It seemed like a very special morning in many ways knowing that since I am moving to Joseph Or. in the next year that this will be one of my home rivers as it is 55 miles and a little over an hour from Joseph.
This morning I did bring my spey rod (I let it at the motel Sat.) and since the floating line I have for it doesn�t cast well I used my 122 gr. sink tip and the black skunk I had used on Sat. Got on the water by 7 AM and was about half way through the run I had picked and hadn�t even had a tap yet. I had just finished my swing through the river and the fly was directly below me when I started to strip the fly in to cast again and bang �fish on�.
After a few jumps and a run up stream I got him over in the shallow water, took a picture and released him back into the water. I wish I had taken more time to admire him and maybe a second picture as backup but I am always in such a hurry to get the fish back in the water that I must do my reflections after the fish is safely back in the water.
I�ve had time to reflect back over the hours since then about what it meant to finally catch that elusive fish of my dreams with a fly I tied in a new river I had never fished before. I feel like I have been welcomed to my new home.
CHarlie
