The final countdown

My license is purchased.  My new Orvis Sling Pack is packed and ready to go.

I completely re-organized my fly boxes last weekend.  I have a dozen fly boxes, and 7 of them will be on the water with me this Saturday.  I have 5 more boxes (dry flies, baetis, isonychia, and salmon flies) that will just sit in the car.  And, I still have a couple hundred more flies that aren't in any boxes at all.

I need a couple new leaders, some tippet material, and a couple flies, but I'll get those on Friday afternoon at the Middlebury Mountaineer.

The Otter Creek Classic fly fishing tournament starts at first light this coming Saturday morning.  We are expecting a little bit of precipitation between now and then, but the river flows shouldn't be too bad.

I have a rough strategy for the tournament.  I think I'm going to start high up on the New Haven on Saturday.  From there, I'll work my way down the New Haven through the fishing day.  On Sunday, I'll probably start right outside my hotel room, and fish the Middlebury upstream to the entrance to the gorge.  After that, if I'm having a tough weekend, I'll drive south for a while and see if I can get lucky with one of the big browns in a river I'm not even going to name right now.  If things are going well, I may head north to some of the more popular spots on the New Haven, or even the Otter if flows are low enough.

I'm still a bit torn on what rod will be my primary weapon.  My favorite rod is a Hardy Zenith 4 weight.  And, some of the spots I'm fishing will be small water with small fish, where that rod is appropriate.  But, I'll also probably hit a couple spots on bigger water, where my old Sage RPL+ 5 weight would be more appropriate.  I'm sure I'll rig both of them and just choose as I get to each spot.

I do know that my first cast of the weekend will be a white woolly bugger up front with a San Juan worm dropper.  I may mix some black stones in there as well, and some attractor nymphs, but those first two flies are about the best bets there are for early season high water here in Vermont.

And, maybe, just maybe, I'll finally catch a fish in this tournament.  Just one.  In another 6 or 7 weeks, when I fish the White River Open (the White is my home river), I know I will catch fish.  When I fish the OCC, I never have any idea.  I think that 80 or so anglers took about 12 fish over 2 days last year.  This year's weather looks to be better, so I'm guessing the numbers will be better.  But, one fish would make me happy.  Two would have me thrilled.  Four might have me in contention to win.  But, let's not be silly here.

On another note, I was contacted about a fishing job today.  It's a short gig - 5 hours per day for a week at a youth camp.  But, the agenda looks like fun - fishing in lakes and streams, talking about laws and ethics related to fishing, going after panfish, bass, trout, and other species.  Even a segment on fly tying.  I don't have the job yet.  I still have to apply and be interviewed, but the program director came to be to talk about it, so I'm hopeful I'll get it.  I will just take a week of vacation from my primary job and spend those days teaching kids about fishing.