Debut of 5-wt: Rocky Ford - PM

It was sunny but not too hot. Yet I drank lots of Gatorade with my gourmet lunch. And then I headed to the top of the creek. It's an outlet riffle from the hatchery boundary that forms a little pond. The riffle here has been the only one consistent spot to catch trout by swinging tiny midges. I've been right about that and midges seem to hatch a lot in the afternoon. So, though not quite a dry-fly only fishing, I would be casting tiny flies without split shots.

This afternoon, I saw some rising trout. I swung some midge soft-hackles but I got only one tap. I still saw some risers so I cast and dead-drifted my soft-hackles like dry-flies. It was hard to see my flies but I knew where they were. I saw a rise and set the hook!! It looked like a 16 to 18-inch trout. It first seemed easy to come to my net and camera but suddenly it charged and snapped off my 6X tippet. But I was happy with what I got!!

I was about to go back to scud & worm but I still saw a couple of trout rising. Before cutting off 6X tippet I tied on Griffith's Gnat Emerger from Blue Ribbon Flies. size 20.

Something huge rose and took my tiny fly!!

Another angle.

It was another massive 20-inch & 5-lb class. I really didn't measure but it might have been up to 22-inch or even 6-lb. I really didn't care because it was huge anyway, landed with 6X tippet.

I cast some more to a riser right at the bank as in Firehole or Madison in Yellowstone National Park. I had one more dry-fly action. Regardless of size, I think I was happy!! And this one was easy for camera frame.

I am happily exhausted now as I accomplished my own objectives of the day.

1. catch nice trout on the brandnew rig
2. but not by bobber or streamer fishing
3. test dry-fly casting & fishing

All of these gave me a big confident to fish for fall baetis hatch in Yellowstone Park waters and midge/baetis hatches in spring creeks in Livingston.

I'd like to worn them friendlily, "hey boys & girls, I will be there!!"

And there should be one or two more day to fish with my brandnew 5-wt around here before I hit the road to Yellowstone.