Double Dippin' Double Digit
Sometimes you just want to get out and fish by yourself. Nothing wrong fishing with friends but sometimes you just want a little peaceful solitude. Today was one of those days for me and it turned out to be one of my best.
I got on the water right at daybreak. Most of the guides had alreay left for areas farther up or downstream and my little stretch of water was fairly vacant except for my friends Jim and Steve in another boat.
We have an unwritten rule about crowding or fishing too close to another guy so I stayed off aways from them and drifted downstream while they stayed up. Coming to the bottom of a small Island I see busting water at the surface, and then more. My first though was stripers are spawning. But it wasn't the kind of splashing that goes with spawning. These were fish chasing bait in the shallows.
I inched on over closer and made my first cast. As soon as the fly hit the water I was immediately hooked up. A nice schoolie of a couple pounds. Cast again, and another immediate grab. This one a little better. Remember I'm drifting still and the water is getting deeper.
I motor back up to the island and plant the bow in the sand. I then drop the motor and put the prop into the sand and use this to hold my spot. Now I'm holding just opposite where the stripers were first busting. Another cast, another fish almost without hesitation. If I left it sink a bit deeper the fish seemed to get larger.
I whistled for my friends to come on down and they did picking up several fish right away as well. After their arrival I picked up three more bringing my count to 12. Figuring I don't want to be hole hawg I pulled anchor and continued drifting toward the other side. Several more nice fish along the way and I finally get to the other side of the river. More snags here but a little quieter. The water has cleared some and the temperature has come up to 59 degrees. Perfect.
I make another cast behind a log jam and get that heavy solid grab we all love. Strip, strip, come tight and off she goes heading toward the middle of the river. I'm on the reel now but this fish has no thought of stopping or slowing down. Into the backing I try to turn her and recover line. Slowly the line comes in, and then goes out again, at her will. Remember, we're drifting the whole time, I'm by myself, and I'm trying to control the boat while keeping her out of the snags at the same time.
Finally she come close and I see other big fish swimming with her. Are they trying to eat my fly sticking out her mouth, or, is she a big hen and they're trying to mate and spawn.
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I'm ready for the net and need help but Jim and Steve are too far off to hear my horn for assistance. The school is up alongside the boat with my hooked fish and I figure it's now or never. I get the net under the hooked fish and at the same moment the other bigger fish gets in too. All hell breaks loose now. I'm trying to hold the net with two big fish, put my rod down without breaking it, and gear is bouncing everywhere. Whew! Now, where's the camera?
I motor quickly back upstream to show the guys my trophies and get a quick couple of snaps before release.
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Geez, what a day to go fish by yourself.
I forgot to mention the good day Jim and Steve had as well. They stayed high and had repeat doubles after doubles. Ending with between 30 – 40 good fish almost all keepers.
TONY
