|
AQUA-DURANGO
(click image for detail)
|
June 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 2004
Girth, Girth, Girth…………
I just exhausted a stretched weekend chasing rainbows, with a group of nine friends, at Antone Ranch. Not to my surprise, I was happy to see the sub-surface All-Stars at the ranch continue to stick with their Ultra-Swim Fast diets. Most trout to hand were solid as bars of soap, with scaled spandex skins ranging from shimmering nickel chrome, to adult red band camouflage complete with par marks. One fish landed had a girth 5 inches less than its length. I suspect its carbohydrate intake was too high.
Didn’t see a single dun Callibaetis in four days, saw one spinner. I watched many adult Damsels, in green, blue, and tan, eye balling through the water, and talking smack to their cruising opponents. They all lost. A lake fattened, belligerent feeding rainbow trout eating a damsel off the glassy water’s surface can hardly be called a rise, more of a detonation. It can be eye witnessed at great distance, with your ears. The nymphs were important to the fish also, and produced more hook-ups than the dries. The skinnier the fly, the better it worked. The rings left behind by trout snarfing damsel nymphs could easily be mistaken for midging fish. There was no mistaking the damsels swimming out of the mouths of landed trophies. Not unlike an Alaskan rainbow burping up eggs with the slightest touch.
Most of the six lakes fished slow except during peak insect time, when hook-up rate was manic. Midge fishing was O.K., and soaking leaches the same. The hefty fish are currently waiting for ladies day at weed-bed park, and the damsels were showing up late morning in large numbers. The winds were down the temperatures were up, and the bi-polar feeding cycles made timing the daily fishing sessions essential.
Throw in a six-pac of good fishing pals, a few of your closest beers, some mild off road travel from lake to lake, and you’ve got the ingredients for a darn fun weekend.
For expert information concerning Antone Ranch, and booking availability, please call 1-541-734-CAST |
Advertise with us