Rain that raised the stream level enough to quicken the flow and persistent gusty winds forced a switch to Plan B. An upstream hike ground a long river bend brought me to a ridge that shielded my 5-weight’s casts to a series of deadfalls that harbored slack water downstream. from each. Several streamer presentations produced a swirl, but no takes. I snipped off the Black Nosed Dace but, as I contemplated the next selection, two rises dimpled the surface in the lee of a large log. Dun-colored caddis flies danced above the surface so a size-14 dark grey Bivisible was knotted to 4X tippet. Two dead drifts were ignored prompting the addition of a subtle twitch. The take was explosive and a 10-inch smallmouth skittered across the surface before diving toward the outstretched tree branches. In hand, the bronze beauty glared angrily at me through intense red eyes. The strategy was magical for the remainder of the evening as each deadfall pocket produced several smallies supplemented by a number of spunky Green Sunfish. At the end of the long pool, I became aware of the rattle of dry leaves as they scurried across gravel bars, and the wind acquired a chilly edge that required a speedy pace toward the bridge.
Hooray For Plan B!
