Mid-afternoon arrivals at local White Bass hotspots allow anglers to beat the crowds. Still, two spin-fishers could be seen upstream and another down from the landing. The tall, far-side bluff had yet to cast its shadow on the stream, so my preparations were leisurely. The stream was swollen and discolored from recent rains, but there were reports of catches of smaller males and the occasional bigger female. I waded into casting position armed with a 6wt rod, a reel spooled with 3-4 i.p.s.sink rate line, a short 4-foot leader with a size-8 silver/white Mini-Minnie. Initial casts were stripped rapidly without success, and the first attempt to allow the fly to sink deeper was hung up behind a rock, and a roll cast was necessary to free it. I waded further downstream to a large eddy that held a sizeable deadfall. The first retrieve was ignored but slammed hard, accompanied by throbbing vibrations. Finally, with the fish within arm’s length, I reached to lip it only to discover the sizeable female had yet another run in her bag of tricks before capture. These sleek, muscular beauties always amaze their captors with power and stamina, attracting legions of admirers.
It’s That Time Again!
