Fishing the seam

I was hesitating about going fishing on Sunday. The maximum air temperature of 43 degrees Fahrenheit (approx. 6 Celsius) that the weather channel was forecasting for this area was not stimulating me to stay waist-deep into water for hours. But passion is passion and I took the chance. I was thinking at the Daylight Saving that just had happened last night and about the fact that I won't be able to go fishing after I finish working, because at 4:30 pm it's already getting dark out. So I have to stick with the week-ends from now on.

The day before I was looking for a spot to fish but the water was still incredible high after the rain we got a week ago. I assume they were releasing water from the upstream dams because the water was actually flowing over the dam.

Anyway, on Saturday night I managed to scoop 2 rainbows and a brown from the bottom in a spot a little more downstream that the place I used to fish last month. So I decided to return to exact the same spot and try some more. The weather, although crisp, was to beautiful to keep me inside.
Water still high, although the lines of current changed a little. There was more water on the other side of the river, which made the strength of the current on my side a little milder. That created a few interesting spots that might have held fish.

Moving around on the shore to look for the best spot I stumbled upon this interesting nature's creation:

It made me think about Brancusi and his Endless Column. Yeah, probably I miss home...
Finally I found the perfect spot and I attacked immediately with a couple of my favorite nymphs. It didn't take too long before I got the first fish. It took the bottom fly as it was scratching the rocks. At around 10 feet deep. Then another one, in the same spot. Than nothing.

I thought: "OK, they are on the bottom. Maybe it's the time to get a little more involved". That meant to search a little deeper. My feet were already frozen, despite the neopren wader and the pair of pants underneath. And I was only knee-deep in the water. Here I go another few steps and the wather is above waist. But I was able to get in reach of the seam between the two lines of current. It didn't look very impressive at a first look, but I kneew that is the only spot my flies get a chance to reach the bottom. The water was probably over 15 feet and the speed of the current around it made the 2 tungsten BH nymph seem like unweighted flies.

But inside that seam, the flies were dropping fast and I was actually able to feel them knocking on the bottom.

Second cast and my line pulled tight. I set the hook and I felt the strong fish starting to shake its head. Despite the freezing water it fought like crazy. First salmon of the day, on a #12 BH nymph:

Immediatelly followed by a rainbow and salmon number two:

In between I had some more strikes but the line was pretty long and I wasn't always able to keep it straight so I missed some fish like this. But that seam was an endless source of fish. I got a couple of browns and some more rainbows, but the "numero uno" of the day was the third salmon, an incredible strong fish, one of the biggest I've caught this fall. My forearm muscles were burning and I had to switch the rod in my left hand a couple of times just to give it some rest. At a point I almost reached the end of my fly line and I was pulling hard on the fish. My tippet was made of 8 pounds fluorocarbon and I knew it's not going to break. I was also trying to make the fight as short as possible to make sure I don't exhaust the fish. The fish instead was not willing to make it short at all.

The net proved itself too small to accommodate the salmon. But that's OK because it didn't stay there for long. A few pictures and it went back into the depth, not before splashing me with the tail in sign of revenge. The good part about cold water is that it holds more oxigen dissolved, so the fish recover quicker after the drill.
This was also a way to test the effect of adrenalin on my metabolism, because I was suddenly sweating and my feet were not cold anymore....

The cold came back though and after a cople more fish and a few other strikes I said it was enough for the day. It was one of the best trips of the season, despite the cold and difficult fishing conditions. I heard the weather is going to get warmer by next week-end and I hope I will have some more action.
At the end I want to introduce one of the new members of my fly box. Same style, I know, but different colors. I got most of the trouts on it, but the salmons preferred the pinkies. Thank God I've found more beads at WS Hunter because I was running really low. Last time I bought some from Cabelas but their holes were too big to accomodate the hooks I use. The body is ice dubbing, another exceptional fly tying material I've discovered this year while tying flies with Jed and Jimmy, ribbed with vinil tubbing. By the way, guys, I couldn't find the ice dubbing on your website.

See you next time!