Spring is in the Air

An unfamiliar white noise set over the cottage early Saturday evening.  At first I wasn't certain what it was but then it hit me...it was the sound of Rain hitting the metal roof.  I grabbed my shoes and headed for the Garage to confirm my suspicion.  Rain it was and I scrambled out to the driveway to bring the snowmobiles in out of the down pour.  For the better part of the night I was awoken on and off by the falling rain as it varied in intensity. 

At one point somewhere around 3:30ish I wrote off any chance of fishing the Big River on Sunday as it would most certainly be spilling over its banks whilst being chock full of mud.  Ahhhh the 3am pessimist...
Somewhere around 5 am or so I convinced myself I had slept in and it was pushing 11 am and any chance at fishing today, if the river hadn't already blow out, was lost to sleeping in. Ahhhh sleep deprivation...  Then it all came together when our old lab dog Cody abruptly reminded me he wanted to be fed and needed out for a piss.

It was 8 am and the rain was still falling.  After feeding the dog and tending to the fire I sat down to my morning coffee and eagerly called up the USGS water site.  I was pleased to learn the rains affect was very minor and fishing this morning was a certain reality.  Before long I was on my way to the access.  I was pleased to see only a handful of vehicles already there but had a gut feeling the water I wanted to prowl would be occupied.  My suspicions were correct but the two gentlemen that were there were very polite and invited me to join them.

 I popped on a fresh peach bag that I had tied the evening prior and started to dissect the upper section.  The one fellow was new to centerpinning and had lots of questions as to my technique.  I answered all his queries but stressed the importance of not over thinking it.  There seems to be a faction lately that needs to over complicate this method...the deep thinkers if you will! 

It was a  hot fish and I don't know who was more excited about the fact that I had hooked up...the young fellow I had been talking to or myself!  I took my time and played the fish down river and eventually to the bank.  I could tell these two gentlemen desperately wanted a fish to take home when they asked me what I was going to do with it but they caught me off guard when one of them asked me how much I would sell him the fish for.  It was a 5-6lb male and a prime candidate for the table.  

I smiled at the young fellow and told him no thank you to the offer but he was welcomed to have this fish if he wanted it.  I wish I had a picture of the smile on his face because it was clearly apparent I had made his day.  I don't keep very many fish over the course of a year.  Actually if I had to give someone a number it would probably be 2  total and they are typically for my father. 

I don't mind harvesting the right fish now and again if it is going to be enjoyed and this fish was pay back for their kind gesture of sharing the run.
I turned 4 more fish for a total of 5 over the course of my 2 hr stint.  All fish were taken on peach and white Chinook roe.

The evening priors rains certainly shook things up and its only going to get better from here on in.  The extended forecast is favourable and the river should keep her shape for the time being.

Spring is in the Air and life is good!