Slightly better results

I got out last Friday night on the main stem of the White River, near Royalton, VT.  Water flows were down to 1400 cfs downstream in Hartford, meaning I could safely wade one of my favorite stretches of the White.  And, for 3 hours, it was just like every other day this season.  By the time I'd wandered upstream to the best of the four large zones I was fishing, I was desperate.  At the top of this last hole, there are 2 rocks and it's very rare not to get some strikes here.  But remember, until this point of the season, I'd had zero strikes at all in a month.

On my 4th or 5th cast, I got a strike, but failed to hook the fish.  As often happens in this pool, it was a hard strike.  Somehow, the fish here seem to have some superpower where they can slam a hook and not get pierced.  A few casts later, I had another strike, and this time, I made contact.  Due to the water conditions, this turned into quite a battle, and I had to wade downstream to net the fish.  It turned out to be a female brookie about 13" or so.

It was the first time I've ever caught a brooked in the main stem of the White, below Bethel.  I've caught them in the higher reaches of a number of tributaries, but never in the main branch.  It was very surprising.

I fished another half an hour or so, and had one more very hard strike, but I failed to hook the fish.

On Sunday, I headed north and east to the Waits River, a river I'd never fished before.  I focused on a stretch about a mile long between Flanders Brook and the East Corinth General Store.  I hit three distinct "fishy" looking stretches, but I had absolutely no luck at all.  This was my first time on the Waits, but it's close enough that I'll return, hopefully with more success the next time.

Yesterday (Thursday), I worked half a day and then arrange to meet a local Trout Unlimited friend on the upper part of the main branch of the White.  I will be honest.  The water had been stocked the day before and I was well aware of this.  The day after this stretch was stocked last year, I caught 34 fish (3 wild, the rest stocked).

I got to our designated meeting spot and I was slowly working my way downstream.  I was trying to avoid the best water until Paul arrived.  Around 12:30 or so, I heard him yell to me.  Before he could gear up, I'd landed 2 stocked fish.  When he got to the water, we moved down into the zone were I tend to catch the most fish.  I got one more.  And then, the fishing just died.  About 2:30 or so, we gave up and headed to another spot.  Here, I was disappointed at how high the water flows were, and also how cold the water was.  What a change the last week had brought us, especially the heavy, cold rain the previous Monday night.  We couldn't even get close to the best hole here.  At this spot, my standard technique is a strike indicator with a couple nymphs, trying to get a nice dead drift.  The water was way too fast to have any chance with this at all.  At one point, Paul was using 4 (non-lead) split shots to try to get his flies deep.

About 5:00 or so, we bailed on this spot and grabbed a quick snack and a drink.  We had a few options, but the higher water ruled out a few.  I suggested we return to where we had started, knowing it would now be shady, and perhaps the fish would be less cautious.  Paul focused on the slower pools below me, hoping a fish - any fish - would respond to the Hendricksons on the surface.  He had no luck at all.

I stayed with my flies from earlier in the day.  After maybe 30 minutes, I had a strike, but failed to hook the fish.  Fifteen minutes later, I hooked a fish, but failed to land him.  Finally around 7:30, Paul, who had a long drive home, had had enough, and we called it a day.  I had three stocked rainbows to show for the day (photos only - the fish were released), and Paul didn't even have a strike.

It's now mid-May and I've caught 4 trout.  We've had really, really weird weather, starting with a very cold winter.  Our hatches are all out of whack.  I've talked to a lot of fishermen who are also struggling.  Things will get better.

But, it's mid May and I've caught 4 trout so far this season.  That's terrible.  The only way to fix that is to fish some more.