Pre-Storm Fishing Today!

Here is our predicted weather tomorrow: 

Winter Storm Warning for Sheridan, WY

From 12:00 PM MDT, Thu., Oct 03, 2013 until 12:00 AM MDT, Sat., Oct 05, 2013

 WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON THURSDAY TO MIDNIGHT MDT FRIDAY NIGHT...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BILLINGS HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON THURSDAY TO MIDNIGHT MDT FRIDAY NIGHT.
* SNOW ACCUMULATION... HEAVY WET SNOWFALL OF 8 TO 14 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE BY LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.
* WINDS... NORTHEAST WINDS 15 TO 30 MPH.
* IMPACTS... DIFFICULT TRAVEL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED BUT THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE DOWNED POWER LINES AND TREE DAMAGE DUE TO THE HEAVY WET SNOW. POWER OUTAGES ARE LIKELY. COLD AND WET CONDITIONS WILL BE HAZARDOUS FOR UNPREPARED HUNTERS.

I knew a storm was on its way. So this morning, while I was on my way back from Buffalo, WY (where I was looking at a new ranch), I decided to fish:


I wasn't expecting much!
On Sunday (the last day I had fished), our streams were high and off-color due to heavy rains the week before. As a result, I did not catch a single fish. Hell, I didn't have a single take. I was truly and classically skunked. Today would be different!

Under long mares' tails (these cirrus clouds almost always indicate deteriorating weather conditions) and with 60 degrees temps, I had a simply spectacular day. I ended up in double digits with fish over 18 inches. I probably landed 20 fish over 14 inches and hooked, but did not land, another half dozen. Every big fish (over 20") had a cool story.



Here are four of these stories:

This big boy ate my hopper THREE times. He actually was pricked on the second take and still took the hopper when presented again. Please notice the healed hole just in front of his dorsal fin. There was another one just like it on his other side. No doubt the wound was from a bird of prey's talon, probably an osprey. He was tucked in the shadows right next to the bank... probably as a result of this bad childhood memory.





 As a side note, big brown trout have sharp teeth:



This fish below, unlike the brown above, was oblivious to any danger. She was cruising around in a big slick eating midges. She was certainly NOT sipping these tiny bugs! Her whole head, up to her pink cheek plate, would come out of the water when she ate. Why, so far out of the water? I have no clue. But it was very cool to watch and made her look huge. She was 20 inches, but when eating the midges, she looked 25. 



Th big hen 'bow below ate my dropper the moment it hit the water. Literally, the moment it hit the water! She ate a prince nymph like it was a dry fly! She was evidently very hungry.




The big hook-jawed male below went through a brush pile to take my fly. Between two Russian olive trees (first photo), I first saw his tail. I cast to the spot getting a good drift right next to the bank. I saw the willows move violently above the brush and then saw my fly disappear. It was all I could do to not strike when I saw the willows move. I was lucky! 




As I post this, it is starting to rain outside .
Tomorrow, it will snow, but today was great!