Written by: Kubie Brown
Tough conditions caused a change of tactics, which paid off for Kubie.
Photo courtesy Kubie Brown
I headed to New York’s Salmon River last week, hoping to land a few steelhead to kill the winter blues. When I got there, I found that the river had risen quickly overnight and that the day was a sunny 60 degrees. The spring-like conditions put me in a optimistic state of mind, so instead of dropping an egg in the high, fast water, I decided to throw my Spey line on the reel, tie on a small Intruder fly, and try my luck on the swing . . though I wasn’t expecting much in the quite cold water.
This bright fish came as a surprise on my second cast, as I swung through the guts of a long pool. While it was the only fish I landed all day, it gave me hope for the days to come, letting me know that no matter how long winter lasts, spring is always on the way.
Kubie Brown, a former Trout Bum of the Week, is a Vermont native who used to man the fly-fishing desk at the Orvis flagship store in Manchester, but he has since moved to Montana to pursue his fly fishing dreams. He is now a “Jack of all trades” at Hubbard’s Yellowstone Lodge.
Nice, I’ve had some long cold days on the salmon and one fish can make all the difference!
One good fish is all I need sometimes! That’s a good fish!