With water levels this low, white gleaming boulders are exposed. It's Rock-tober.
Further upstream, alongside a pool where the water was glassy and the fish were rising, I had tied on some fluorocarbon tippet and a Blue Winged Olive. I was putting the fly in the center of the ring, but there were no takers. I packed up, drove further downstream and took up my position at the head of a pool. Most months of the year this spot is part of a waterfall.
I cast to a nearby spot a couple of times as I scanned the water for rises. I was still sizing up the situation when I cast a little further out and noticed the current took my dry fly into the depths. Before I could get my bearings I felt a strong tug and my 5-wt bowed and arched. A nice, bright rainbow ran and lept.
Finally, aftera bit of a slump, I had a nice 12-inch wild rainbow in the net.
It's been a longtime since I checked the USGS streamflow. The Middle Fork at my location was at 150 CFS and still dropping. Temperatures were in the low 70s. We have had around 70 days of dry weather. We have a burn ban underway after wildfires struck the western slope of the Cascades, a rarity.
Fishing has been tough. Today was a good bounce back. I am planning a trip with the Steelhead guide J.D. Love to the Grande Rhonde later this month. Fingers crossed!
