First Dry-Fly Fishing 2013!!

I was busy with Master Breeder projects over last weekend. Although February ended on 28th, not on 31st, it felt like I was not fishing over a week. So I visited to DePuy Spring Creek (www.depuyspringcreek.com) in the afternoon just as I've been doing. But.........probably because of warm weathers (at least it's not super cold) and some rumors of big trout circulating in the area (is this blog of mine famous??), creek was occupied full on this weekday!!
...............should I just go home and come back tomorrow?............ I could have but as weather gets warmer, my mind is getting ready and shaping up for up-coming guide season (fishing never stops around me and I'm keeping my body in shape all through winter, you know that!!). One of my guiding mantras came up to my mind. It's the words of my mentor's (Tom Travis) mentor (the late Don Williams).
"For each guide trip, always have a plan and a backup plan".
Surely I wanted to fish DePuy's but I had to admit I was almost all setting up routines at the creek recently. It's not bad to do something out of those routines. Where else could I go fishing? Unless one's totally blind, Mighty Yellowstone River is running right along Livingston. So I chose "The Ditch" as my instant backup plan. The Ditch is a side channel where DePuy's spills into, right along HWY 89. Just before the channel merges back to the main channel, there's a little irrigation/diversion dam called "Livingston Ditch". From my experience of last winter, I know this section can be really fun to fish, especially when midges are hatching and trout are rising!! Without a second thought, I grabbed my dry-rig (5wt rod with DT line). Wind wasn't bad at all. I was walking to a spot where I expect the best of hatches and rising trout. As I was attaching my flies on my tippet, fish started to RISE!! & RISE!! I knew so!! Fish were definitely looking up for midges, which were abundant in the air and on the surface!!

These are patterns for today.
Matt's Moose Mosquito

Goose Biot Midge

Foam Emerger Type 1

 Foam Emerger Type 2

Withing the first few casts, my first catch with dry-fly for 2013 was a little feisty rainbow!! I did net this little fella. But while I was getting ready for a pic or two, it swam away!!

But they kept rising!! I hooked another one then next one!! But they all got loose before netting, not to mention before taking pictures!!! It ended 4 frustrating losses!! One of them was a nice leaping rainbow!!

Finally I made a solid hook-up!! Midge hatch and rising WHITIE, I couldn't be happier than that!!

I have developed a set of skills to conduct stomach-pumping on Whities!! Hmmm.........usual menus, I suppose.

I kept hooking and losing. Again, one or two of them looked and felt like really nice ones. Then I got another!!

I got better pictures this time.

 Guess what Whities are eating.........Just same as trout!!

 Little one......

Hatch and rises seemed slowing down. "Am I getting only Whities today?".........AH!! finally I caught a nice little Cut-bow!!

Look how Type-2 was chewed off. This proves my story is true that I kept hooking but losing. My flies, even tiny midges, won't tear up like this by catching one fish!!!

So my backup plan turned out to be great and I enjoyed an alternative afternoon. In fact, I wanted to fish The Ditch but since I was doing so well at DePuy's, I was lazy to try. Today, I was given a reason to fish there. That's my interpretation.
I intend to visit DePuy's tomorrow (and later) but I always have a viable backup plan!!