Hit my chosen spot at 7:00 AM this morning. There were already two guys there getting ready to flyfish.
The gentlemen were very open to the idea of sharing the spot with me, so as soon as we got a glimpse of light, we started working our flies.
It was a beautiful morning, with a light drizzle and mist, but as time went by, the rain picked up and didn't let up till the end of the day.
I had two coho on very early into fishing, but managed none to the beach. Oh, well...that's fishing.
Around noon the bite was completely off, and except for a booty spring that somehow managed to get my fly in its mouth, that was it for that part of the river.
After lunch at Pointa Vista, I went to the bottom end of the river, near the canal, and fished one of the gravel holes where the river becomes the canal. There were occasional chum and coho surfacing, but none wanted my fly.
The rain kept pounding and pounding, and the cold associated with dampness started making its way to my bones, so I decided to call it quits around 4:30. I made one last long cast and started quickly retrieving the line onto the reel.
Much to my surprise, a beautiful resident cutthroat hit my fly and the fight was on. The poor thing didn't stand a chance against an 8-weight rod and a 10-pound leader.
Soon it came to hand:
After admiring it for a moment and taking a picture, I gently released it. There are not too many of these in the Vedder, so they should be treated with utmost respect.
It sure made my day, as I had never caught a cutty in the Vedder. Rainbows and bulls, yes, but never a cutthroat.
The river was essentially a ghost town. There were very, very few people out there. The river held up despite the heavy rain, but I did notice it came up a couple inches. With some more of the wet stuff, a fresh push of fish might just make it into the system.
It could be a good day tomorrow for those who want to brave the elements.
Good luck out there, and Happy Halloween.
Cheers,
Milo