Finding Feathers and Fish in December
December is the one of the few months where everything seems to be moving. Whether it is elk, trout, or waterfowl, many species are congregating in wintering areas. Drew and I found it necessary to take advantage of the congregating trout and migrating waterfowl with a good old fashion "cast and blast." The destination for this epic day took place on the quiet Clark Fork River.
We had heard reports of mallards in decent numbers feeding near a few calmer outlets along the river, so naturally we had to check it out. We brought only a half dozen mallard decoys, and hoped for the best considering we did not scout the day before. It was an extremely rainy/windy day, so all of the ducks had to fly low and slow in order to fight the persistent wind. One aspect I noticed after the first hour of hunting was that the ducks seemed to be flying in waves. We would have ducks working us for a consistent 5 minutes, then they would disappear for 20. The mallards flew early, then fun flocks of divers took over. We finished the morning with four mallards and four divers. We considered this to be a great start to a fun day.
After the hunt we trucked up river to one of our favorite fishing spots in hopes of catching a few sizable trout by swinging streamers. It didn't take long for me to hook up into a beautifully colored cutthroat and rainbow. Both trout showed no sign of a food shortage, for they were both chunky. An hour and a half went swing after swing without a single grab. By this time, the tiredness of our early morning venture started to set in, and I was beginning to lose interest.
Out of pure curiosity, I decided to make a small hike down stream and strip one of my favorite streamer patterns (#4 low fat minnow) through some slow water. I made my first cast intrigued in what could be lying ahead. I just about finished stripping when I noticed a dark figure trailing my streamer. It neared closer and closer until I could see that it was a healthy 15-17" brown trout. The trout saw me though and darted off back to the deep. Not bad for a first cast! 15 minutes go by and I hook up with a beautiful 19" brown. I fought him for a minute or two before bringing him to the net where I could admire his beautiful size and spots. After I snapped a couple quick pictures I release him back into the wild. A few missed grabs later I found myself hooked up with another brown. I continued to fish for another half hour before the sun set and we were all out of light.
When everything was said and done we had nothing left but a few pictures and some great memories of a fun rainy day. Stop by the fly shop anytime, and reminisce with us about your latest "cast and blast" outing. Talking shop and swapping stories is a highlight here at the Fly shop.
And if you can remember, ask myself or Calvin how we are doing on our quest for the elusive "Mcdoogle."