There is something about the first fish of the year that gets the blood pumping. Whether it’s an omen of the year to come I don’t know, but it always starts me anticipating a productive year of Fly Fishing. This year the first fish was especially exhilarating since not being able to brake out the long rod in two months. Saturday an opportunity for me to toss flies on a small Arizona creek arose and I jumped all over it. It’s a bit early in the season to expect much out of this stream but I could not help spending a few hours tempting the creek to give up a prize.
As would be expected in February the temperature was brisk. The clouds were struggling to decide whether to send down snow or rain and between the two it ended up a wet and soggy day.
It was not to far into the trip when the indicator sucked below the surface. I quickly realized how rusty my fishing skills were when I found myself with my rod tip to high and excessive slack in the line. Frantically I scrambled, striping slack out of my poorly managed line so I could set the hook. Despite the late hook set and the line tangled between my legs and pack I somehow managed a hook set and was rewarded with an orange flash, the tell tell sign of a Brown on the line. Maybe it’s because of being inundated with stocked Rainbows with pail colors and mangled fins over the years, but I really get excited whenever I can get into Browns. Given the way he was taking line from my fingers he was a decent size for this Creek. Somehow I managed to get the line untangled from my pack and legs just in time to feed him line as he ran. After a short fight the reward was a bold colored 15″ Brown and the 2010 fishing season is on.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Nate,
Way to go with the first fish of the year–and a fine Brown no less! I like the stream photos in the post, and the trout is a beauty. Like you said, there is something special about catching good-sized wild Browns…again, nice job!
Iain
Good looking fish with beautiful colors. I am glad that you were able to get some action with all that high water. Keep them coming.
Ben
Where did you go? I’m still trying to figure out spots in AZ to fish, but I’m planning on heading out at the end of this month. I was thinking either Silver Creek or the Salt, which would you suggest?
If I told you where I went that would take the fun from you finding it. If you are looking for new spots they are out there and I would look towards the rim.
I have not fished Silver Creek this year. It’s a great place to catch big fish but as far as it’s remoteness and type of fishing (slow moving water) it is low on my list. But it’s hard not to get excited about the size of fish they stock.
Nice 2010 brown Nate. If that is the creek I think it is, Good on you for fishing it successfully after it had about the same flow as Lees Ferry tearing through there
It’s probably the same creek. I don’t think the flows went that high up where I was but it did look different.
I love the writing nice fish