Jumpin the gun

I thought I had the weather prediction all dialed in--no really. I talk pride in reading the weather, sort of being able to predict when their is a change of season. I watch the little subtle things, and if read properly you can say with confidence "fall has arrived, or in this case WINTER IS OVER."


I felt the gentle little shifts in weather, birds singing, changes in the sky, cloud differences, oh yeah baby I thought for sure today would be one of those early, early spring days on the river, where the beloved sun shows his happy face, and heats the day up to maybe 41 or hell maybe 42. No, I was wrong, and the day was windy and cold. Old man winter still has his bony grip on the neck of Mother Nature. At most holes, we had to bust through the ice. It would break off in huge sheets and float down river; this lasted all day.


However with that said, I am going to further predict that even though I was wrong today, winter is on the way out. Oh we will still see snow, rain and some cold days. But they will not be the hard hitting stuff we have felt for the past few months. Old Man Winter's hands are still on her throat, but they are only loosly placed there, ready to pull back. The snow we see in the next month or so will come one day, and be melted off the road by the next day or two. Mornings will still frosty, and the snow piled up on your boat in your front yard will not be gone tomorrow, but pay attention lovers of spring and sunshine times they are a changin.

Winter Blues

Winters gloom is sticking to my everything; filling all the space with its chill and worse its inversion. I have been cooped up inside for too damn long, and today I was bound and determined to get out, regardless of how the day went.

Honestly, I love winter, well mostly I love winter. Well, I can say that I like it. To me there is no greater mountain-scape than when its wrapped in winters white coat. There is a certain tranquility that winter and snow bring, that no other season can touch. I enjoy the snow, and not just skiing in it. I actually enjoy it for what it is.

I can handle the cold, I even like it, when I am properly dressed for it, and geared up for it in my mind. I dig winter fishing, waiting for the day to heat up, and the midge to get moving, then seeing the water boil with trout slurping them off the top. You know you have only a small window of time before the sun fades, and the fish stop feeding, so it makes the time you have all the better.

With that said though, I have had enough of winter. I am ready for a change of pace, and today I did not care if I froze to the bone I was going to get my waders on, and my line in the water. The only river right not that is supposedly fishing well is the Provo. I love the river itself, but I usually do not like to fish it. It just has too many people on it. And today sure enough everyone was there.

Actually it didn't start out that way. Evan and I were there early, about 8:00 and no one was in the parking lot; we turned left at the first light coming into Heber Valley. I don't know what they call that section, but if you fish the Provo, you know where I'm talking about. Honestly I can see why everyone fishes it, it is an amazing river--all you can ask for.

It snowed most of the morning, and you could tell the sun wanted to come out, and so did the midge. I worked it hard all morning nymphing and dry/dropper fishing--with only a couple bites. Then they started feeding off the top. I worked it hard with tiny dry's but nothing. I decided with them feeding off the top like that, I would have luck swinging softies. Bingo.

There was one point for about 15  minutes where I was on fire. God it was fun. I say this all the time, and I stand by it: you don't have to catch fish to have fun. But when you do, it really does add to the pleasure. I would have had a great time even if I didn't get one bite; I really need to get out. But catching fish does not suck.