April 1st means one lake in our area opens for fishing. Trout Lake, and the majority of lakes, won't open until the last Saturday of the month. So I look forward to the chance to get out on Early Lake and get ready for the "real" opening day at Trout Lake.
I was sorry to see that some of you were still dealing with snow and winter weather on April 1. Our day turned out to be mild and springy. So I hauled out the float tube, loaded up, picked up a new license, and headed for my first day on a lake this year.
I had a muddler on the line from my last trip to Rocky Ford, so I fished it for awhile, with no results. Good-sized midges were hatching, and I began to come across pods of fish taking them off the top. So I tied on a #18 Adams, and after a little target practice I found the right spot and caught the first fish out of a lake in 2014 on a dry.
I wouldn't have wanted the lake season to begin any other way. I stayed with dries the rest of the time, and enjoyed myself greatly. It was so good to be taking photos of trout again.
I took a break, as is my habit here. At this time of year it serves a dual purpose. The water is icy cold, and a chance to warm up my feet is very welcome.
When I kicked back out the pods of trout were still cruising and taking midges off the surface. In fact, they never stopped.
I did stop, though, as the sun sank behind the mountain and the temperature began to drop. My feet were numb, and I was tired. As usual, the first trip makes very clear how out of shape I am after a long winter. But it also means that I've gotten out at last and taken the first steps in shaping up for the long, wonderful season ahead. Like everything around me, I'm coming alive again.
"Back in the saddle again". Sounds like an old Gene Autry song. Glad to see you out in the lake again.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots Jim , looks like one heck of a day to me. How can you not love catching fish on dries to start the year off?
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