Dedication

With my final fall semester winding to a close at UNR, I am struggling to find the time to go fish.  I know this is the story for the majority of people reading this, but all school and no fish makes Western Trout Wrangler a dull boy.  I spent a little extra time in lab the other night so I could manage to have a day off to get back to my favorite water in the state.  Today was NOT a nice day to be on the river.  The temps never rose above freezing and the 25 mph north wind didn't help to warm me up.  But when it comes down to it, to understand a river and the fish residing within, you have to be dedicated.  I once heard that a true fisherman is someone who fishes no matter the circumstances.  I hope to someday become one.  Despite the borderline frost bite on my hands, the swim I took today that filled up my waders, and the iced up line guides, I still pulled a few fish up from the depths.  When the water is cold, fish deep, slow water.  Try a streamer with sinking line and use a very very slow action.  I had one catch today where I watched a MONSTER follow my fly from under a submerged willow, then I felt a tug tug, then I set the hook and watched this large dark shadow peel off up the river corresponding to the action at the end of my rod.  The change in angle of the light and the appropriate time of the tug convinced me that I had that toad,the fish of my life, on the end of my line, but then he went out of sight and the tugging was still there.  Turns out another fish thought he was clever and decided to snake the big boy!  I landed the little guy, but it was pretty anticlimactic seeing that hog tear off upriver without my fly in his lip.