Summer memories

We are in the darkest time of year, the snow that normally light up the day are still missing, one good thing is that the daylight hours are getting longer due to the winter solstice. Anyway, It's time to

make a withdrawal from the memory bank. This one from June last summer, a warm overcast day with a nice little hatch of Baetis Rhodani. I was walking up one of the side channels of my favourite river, trying to spot a rising trout. And it didn't take long before I spotted the first trout. Steady rising, just inches outside the opposite bank, so close to the bank that the nose of the fish touched the yellow flowers who hung out from the riverbank.  

Perfect, this was one of the easy ones to catch, I could count to ten between each time the nose of the fish came up and sipped a insect. After several attempts to catch the fish nothing had happened, he was still there, steady rising, and not easy at all. The side channel was not wide, just around twelve yards, so I could easily see the fish eating almost every baetis that sailed above him. 

Checking the fly box one more time and realise that fly switch is not the solution, must have faith and believe in the pattern. The next cast was to long, touched the yellow flowers at the opposite bank and fell down smooth as a little feather, a yellow nose came up and the fish was on. The fish was a strong fighter, but the bamboo rod did the job, and with a smile on my face i could put the net under the fish. When I was about to release the the hook from the fish and put him back, I discovered that the left eye was all grey, the fish was probably blind and did not see the fly sailing by on his left side. After this I felt for a brake and walked 60 meters down the river to make a cup of coffee, waiting for the water to boil I spotted another fish rising just outside, perfect distance for some filming. I spent almost an hour drinking coffee and watching the fish eating, both on the surface and below. This fish I left alone, just watching him at this distance made me smile.

Here is the little film from the coffee brake.