A Twofer

by Phillip Dobson
(Butte, MT)

I've been going back to the local winter fishing hole a couple times last week. The fishing there has been really good and really fun. I caught my personal best grayling the other day and yesterday I landed two fish at once. A first for me!

I was drifting a nymph rig through the most productive run. A #20 dark-purple frenchie and a #14 rainbow Dexter. I hooked up after just a few casts, and two my surprise, saw two forms rising out of the darkness. A flash of blue and, "oh crap, a grayling"! I got the grayling up onto the ice and quickly reached into the icy water for the bigger rainbow. A quick snapshot, then a nudge back into the water. Bighole grayling are always a special experience, and this made it even more memorable.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.