1998 Fishing Journal
Friday, June 19th
I felt that I had been staring at my computer screen all week long and I had. Thankfully it was a very rainy week in Steamboat so I did not mind sitting at my computer. Again, Thursday evening I could tell that Friday was going to be gorgeous so I decided to drive up and check on the status of the creeks in Big Red Park. There was about 3 to 6 inches of snow on the ground from the storms the previous two day. The creeks were all out of their banks and running muddy. I tried a few casts, however, I have seen this condition before and have yet to break the code and figure out how to catch fish. I took a look at the Middle Fork of the Little Snake. It was a torrent.
Drove back to Steamboat Lake to eat lunch. Wind was again blowing hard, however, I thought I would try wading the shallows off of Meadow Point. I threw about 100 cast before I remembered I still had a "Kendal Killer" in my nymph box. (See Journal entry for June 6th ) I only had one. I could have kicked myself for not tying up some more of these silly looking flies. Well, first cast with the "Killer" I had a strike. The second cast with the "Killer" I hooked up on a 16-inch Rainbow. After each fish I check the tippet very carefully. I knew that I could not afford to loose this fly. In the next 20 minutes I caught and released aboutl 10 fish. Most of them in the 10 to 12 inch range. A lot of action – and then you guessed it I lost the fly. I had a fright train strike and thought I was broken off – I was not. The hook shank broke at the bend. (Bill uses very cheap hooks.) I just stood there looking at this silly fly without a hook. I casted it out a few more times and had a strike. For the next hour I tried every thing in my nymph box without success. I am going back Saturday evening with an entire box of these silly olive green flies tied-up.