Davidson 2-25-07

[Browntrout]

Woke up Sunday morning to a steady rain and 40 degrees at the house, when I thought to myself what a great morning to hit the D.  LEft the house at 10am and arrived at the hatchery at 1035.  Fished above the bridge using PTN with no avail.  The water was slightly up and a little off color.  Switched to a green beadhead WB and started fishing back downstream to the bridge.  Hooked-up with several small bows in the 10inch range.  About noon the rain had stopped and I drove down to the confluence with Looking Glass Creek and immediately hooked up with a 23" fat bow.  He came out from underneath the bank and WHAM!!.  Took about 20 minutes to net him as I was shaking profusely.  This was the biggest trout for me EVER.   Continued walking downstream and hooked up with 1/2 dozen other bow,browns, and one brook all in the 10-15 inch range.  All in all it was the best day that I hav EVER had on the D.  I was fishing in calmer water above the riffles and the fish were on.  The temp was about 50 mist/rain and slightly stained water.  The bonus was there were hardly any other guys on the water.... 0--0

[peter p]

Sounds like a great way to spend a cold, rainy day

[Woolly Bugger]

Nothing like a nice fatty bow to make a GREAT day on the D. We must have been on the other side of the front cause it didn't break 40 degrees here, good going, getting out an a rainy day w/o crowds, the only thing missing is a picture!

[trout_boy_II]

What a great day!  Congratulations.

It seems like I do best after or during a rain on the D.  Something about the slightly higher, plopping  and somewhat stained water that hides my inelegant casts or something.

Hope to get up there Friday and with rain predicted for Thursday night, I hope I'll do as well as you did.

Thanks again for the inspiration.

TB

[NCTroutStalker]

I was up there on the hatchery section too- first light Sunday in the rain.  The fish were really ON till around 11-12 at the hatchery.  I landed a 19" brown, and lost a few smaller bows in the 14-15" size.  My buddies caught several more nice fish from 14"-20".  One of my buddies stuck a 21-23" brown that decided he liked a log better than the net.  It was a great morning.  Oh yeah- fish were on sz 20 brassies, micro-eggs, sz 18-20 PHTs, and sz 22-24 red disco midges and thread midges.  It was my first time on the hatchery strech, I am probably spoiled for future trips.

NCTS

[phg]

The thing with the hatchery is that you know those hogs are there.

The rest of the river has some nice fish, and very pleasant fishing conditions, but visions of those hogs will keep haunting you.... o-o

[trout_boy_II]

You know, that's exactly what I think every time I'm driving by the river and what usually brings me into the Hatchery parking lot first to see how crowded it is.  If it's a zoo, then I head either up or down stream instead, but once you've brought to hand one of those pigs, well, it's hard to forget.

I had planned on a day off today and an early morning weekday D visit, but the storms have blown things out, so it will have to be another day.

TB