I'm Alive #3... for the Holiday Season

...been awhile. Thought I'd check-in and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and healthy and prosperous 2015. We visited with family in Weed CA for Thanksgiving

Well we're getting snow. It is a good start for the "water year" (which actually starts in July). Let's hope these storms continue; California...and the fish...need it. I hear that we'll need 150% of normal to get us out of this three year D. Here's hoping that the "storm window" remains open for next three months....minimum. Cheers! with a nice Hot-Buttered Rum.

...and the fishing:
I haven't been out for awhile. Guess I've become a fair-weather angler; it has been really cold in the mountains. Actually right now I'm nurturing a cold and a very congested nose; a Hot-buttered Rum has been a good de-congester. 

Here is my last fly fishing adventure:

Simply, I lost my biggest Brown of the year (actually biggest trout of the year) the Monday before Thanksgiving. I had this fish on for over a minute (actually ACT II if you're familiar with Lani Waller's writing). It broke-off when the fly line got entangled in my wading staff (as in Thy Rod and Staff for those unaware my DBA). So, my rod and staff did not comfort me!

The episode started with a very sublte "take-down" of my indicator. I set-up, and felt several, slow head-shakes. Then the unforeseen surged quickly upstream to the top of the run ripping minimally 40-45 feet of line. It stopped, then leaped with three aerial head-tail whumps...and splashed back into the water; immediately heading back towards me. I countered by using my patented "spaghetti-retrieve", safely recovering all the line below my control-finger...so I thought. I still had the fish on a tight leash as it raced past and below me by about 30'. Then bink!! fish gone...I looked down at a loop of recovered line wrapped around my staff.

Conservatively, I guessed its size at a minimum of 25", possibly 28". When it was airborne I noticed its thickness, so it was easily a 5 pounder at the smallest guess and up to 8-9 pounds at the larger guesstiment. It was a thrill and an interesting end to my 2014 season, if only...