The signs of active development were all around the property. You can purchase one of the 3 BR units for $495,000.00 or rent it. I was told it took several years for them to get all the permits to construct the new riverside lodging. I noticed the silt fences that were installed along the banks. During a high water event several months earlier water was clearly well over the fences. A lot of construction debris still hung on the fences. Oh well, time to go fishing.
My Guide
My Guide was waiting for me. I don’t recall his last name, (I’ll just refer to him as “expletive’). He is in his second career as a guide with the property . He told me he has fly fished his whole life.
He asked me how I liked to fish. “Dries” I replied. Well, he informed me he had a method that he thought would work better and that was what we were going to use. Truthfully, I could have protested, but I was along for the ride. My guide took my rod, assembled it, and rigged it all up. Just like getting gas in New Jersey…full-service fishing. (dirty feeling washed all over me, funny what money makes people think is an elite experience)
The magic rig he used included two nymphs placed about 12 to 14 inches apart with split shot below the flies at the end of tippet, plus a bobber. Yeah, I just won’t even get started on that whole topic.
We parked by an old hatchery on a creek. I asked my guide about the hatchery ponds. He said “They were previously in operation, but now the club gets stockers from the hatchery across the street.”
My beat was approximately a third of a mile on “a creek.” It was pretty small water, similar to what I normally fish at home. As we walked along the bank of the creek, the number of big fish was astonishing. There were huge fish everywhere -- even a rise or two here and there.
I asked my guide, “how does such little water produces so many large fish?” He replied, “Well, I didn’t offer this, but since you asked, we feed them pellets.” he continued, “This does not make them any easier, or any harder to catch, but it makes them big and strong and they hang around.”
What total bullshit, I thought to myself. He further said that when the fish aren’t biting they use the hatchery fisher’s favorite, the “pellet fly.” He opened a box and showed me about a size 12, brown foam fly with a little yellow on top.
Learning To Crawl
“Hit, Hit, Hit.” Every time the bobber would hesitate, move around, sink a little or I would take a breath, -my guide -- would yell hit. I felt like telling him to shut the fuck up, but hey, this is what you end up paying for, some guy telling you how to fish. Was this why you joined... because you were stupid or wanted to be made to feel stupid! Or is it because you believe this to be what a fly fishing experience is, have no idea how to catch a fish or where to find one, or the inclination to even look. Visions of fat ass citizens sliding up to the river in a chair and having the trout hooked on for them. I am cold and want to vomit. eh hem, I digress.
I purposely lost the first fish I hooked, no seriously I did.
My guide was barking out instructions on how I should play the fish. Unable to override the pressure building in my head, I lowered the rod and turned to look at “expletive guide”. “----, please stop yelling instructions, I can play a big fish.” I started playing the fish again, he began yelling again “bring the rod up, bring the rod up!”
So I did. Very hard, very fast. Snap.
Before I allowed the fish to escape, he jumped only once and then went and sat in the current. He didn’t run much at all. I’m unsure why my guide felt he the need to say so much. Other than being large, the fish was overall disappointing and seemed content to be dragged in, released and go back to waiting for the pellet feeder to activate.
My guide suggested we move upstream and continue casting to (and over) all the fish we see. I landed smaller ‘bows – 16 to 18 inches, then a 6-inch wild brown and then an 18-inch brown. Again, none of the fish impressed me, although the little wild one jumped more than any fish that day. There were signs of life at this club.
Despite my guide’s magic rig, I did get snagged a few times. Each time I got snagged my guide would tell me to hand him the rod and he would work the snag loose. Then hand the rod back to me. Hmmm, $400.00 per day to pay this asshole to have me fish a bobber, yell hit, have him tell me how to land a fish, and free all snags. What a bargain and damn good work if you can get it.
Dry Flies ARE Better ; )
Even with the full sun and hot conditions, some BWOs were coming off. I had some landing on my waders. Some fish were rising and all I wanted to do was tie on a dun or emerger and go for the dry strike. Trying to drive the experience a bit, get any control over my fishing experience back, I let my frustration with the slow to moderate conditions show.
Expectations had been raised by the property. The magic rig had apparently lost some of its magic.
