Link: https://www.wyomingtroutguides.com/
The diversity continued as I caught a fine spotted cutthroat about 20 minutes later. From there, we caught a mixed bag of species. The rainbows, cutthroat, and browns were all biting and it was fun to try and determine which one was on the line after a hookset. The biggest of these was a 15 inch brown trout which I was thrilled about. I have a special place in my heart for browns and prefer to catch them over any other species of trout. Most of the fish were hitting the Duracell with a few of the larger fish taking the craw. In total, I landed 15 fish on the bobber rig and while I was over the moon about the entire experience, the temptation of throwing a streamer rather than staring at a strike indicator loomed over my head like a specter. When I eventually inquired about throwing a streamer to Nolan, his smile went from ear to ear.
I got the feeling that Nolan prefers streamers over bobbers. I don’t blame him. The takes can be incredibly aggressive and the bites are often visual. Smaller fish don’t tend to crush streamers which opens the door for bigger, angrier fish to end up in the boat. This is all good for business. A guide wants a client to catch bigger fish and that is always the hope of an angler. Nolan quickly got the 7 weight rod out and showed me the black, articulated streamer that he had selected. He showed me the sink-tip line that we would be using and instructed me to use an erratic retrieve that didn’t have any pattern to it. He showed me how to cast perpendicular to the bank, fish the fly quickly into deeper water, and then hammer the bank again. This was a run and gun style of fishing that I have done before with a hopper on the North Platte and while I was excited to get started, I was also intimidated by the fact that this was all foreign to me.
As I started casting the streamer, I attempted to remember all of the lessons that Ryan Walker had taught me on the two outings that I shared with him. Those occasions were the only times that I have ever floated down a river and fished a streamer. While those trips targeted smallmouth bass, I started to realize that the principles were the same. I tried to use correct angles and focus on areas near the banks and just off the bank where the water got deeper. I reminded myself to strip set rather than trout set and I probably ran that reminder through my mind close to 50 times and that’s not an exaggeration. All of Nolan’s and Ryan’s teachings worked because after a few minutes into tossing a streamer, I got my first bite.
In keeping with tradition, I tend to miss my first fish while streamer fishing and today was no different. I wasn’t shocked or disappointed because I had a feeling it was coming. On the other hand, I felt a confidence boost due to the fact that my actions had produced a take. I also felt like I had gotten over a mental hump and was now ready to hook up with a trout. That’s exactly what happened just a few minutes later.
A fine spotted cutthroat was duped by my streamer and a proper strip set initiated a solid fight. Nolan had told me that I had a leader that was approximately 20 pound test and I felt like I had the upper hand as the fish bent the rod and took line. Mentally, I hoped for the fish to stay hooked but I tried to not come off as desperate to my guide that I was building a great deal of respect for. Eventually the fish tired and Nolan got him in the net. Not only had I caught my first trout on an articulated streamer, I had caught my first cutthroat on a streamer. I also appreciated the fact that I accomplished both of these feats from a moving boat on a river that I had never fished before. I couldn’t contain my excitement and a “woo” of excitement came rolling off my lips which turned into a gigantic smile immediately after the verbalization. I think I initiated the high five with Nolan but he was all too happy to return the gesture with a smile on his face as well.
Link: https://www.wyomingtroutguides.com/
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