One hour, one chance, one fish

This Thursday I was able to squeeze one hour of fishing in my daily schedule. That's it: 60 minutes. Conditions: cold, windy, high water, even a few drops of rain. Perfect to test my breathable rain jacket that didn't have a chance to show what it can before.
I got a net with me this time, to reduce the risk of loosing fish before taking some pictures. Last time I was there a beautiful rainbow showed me the tail premature, leaving me without any picture taken.

High water meant strong current. In order to get on the bottom I had to fish a huge nymph, tied on a #8 hook, with the biggest tungsten bead I could find, together with the real "candy", on a #12 hook. Orange has worked for me this year just beautiful, and decided to try some pink too.
In a half an hour I combed half the stretch already, with no strikes. Suddenly, after a few hard knocks on the bottom, caused by the heavy nymph rolling on the rocks, I feel a soft take. Before realizing what's going on, the fish was already pulling line off my reel. The rainbows are extremely strong fighters and this one was using the current as much as possible to try to escape. I had to move out of the current to be able to land it. A beauty of 17 inches (43+ cm). A few pictures and back in the water.

That was it, no more strikes until the inevitable 6 o 'clock came.....

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Finally some good news from fish and game. The section bellow Eastman Falls dam in Franklin is starting this year a "fly-fishing only, catch and release" area. Thanks guys!