Rookie Day on the Mo
While Saturday was windy, rainy, and cold we had a great upper float by the dam and caught a number of fish. However, on Sunday with 60 degree weather, sunny, and no wind- we had our 'rookie day.’
How come no one ever knows (err how come I never know) when daylight saving time comes? So we plan to leave at 10:30- unknowingly, it’s 11:30. After gas stop/food stop/coffee stop in Ulm because Craig restaurants are still under construction we make it to Craig boat ramp by 1pm. Midges are all over the water- no fish eating them (there was a couple actually but it was crazy).
Float the first two bends with girl in front of the boat using a nymph rig- guy in back of the boat throwing a streamer to clean up- no fish. Drift boat floats by waves and smiles and yells -’great fishing today’- ooo yeah- heart sinks.
However perfect weather and sandwich rejuvenates spirits in the boat and while floating backwards, not rowing, and having a cup of coffee- girlfriend in the front of the boat hooks up on a big fish. We lose it in the weeds. After catching a fish on a nymph, we get smart and switch to both people using streamers (?).
No fish. Get to Stickney Creek boat launch and fish are rising on the gravel bar. Spook all the fish rising on midges and accidentally hook a muskrat in the tail- and land it on 5x (this is true and I have a picture but wasn’t sure if that was appropriate-again an accident). Finally make it to the Dearborn wall- finally we get a chase on a streamer. I let me friend row, he does fairly well, and I get a strike on a streamer-then another.
Fish eats entire Yellow Yummy streamer right in front of the boat to the point I can’t even see the fly- I freeze and don’t set the hook and fish swims away. 20 yards later before the mouth of the Dearborn I break a fish off on 3X -rare and disappointing. At this point, fish are rising to midges like mad but we are defeated and don’t switch to dry flies.
Streamer/nymph fishing continues down Marshall Lanes with no luck. I quite rowing and just start nymphing out of the middle of the boat on a last ditch effort to hook a fish. Friend in the back of the boat hooks a fish on a streamer and loses it.
Then I have fish on the Tailwater Charlie, and I break it off.
At Mid-Canon boat ramp at this point, beautiful night, no wind, getting ready for BBQ at the house. I’d do it again today. Chalk one up for the fish, they won today, and made me feel like a total rookie on the river but I guess that’s maybe what keeps me going back. I’ll redeem myself from this rookie day soon.