This was I think PPTU's 11th "One Fly" Contest, it's amazing how fast time flies. We had a great turn out this year with 11 participants; Bob Kaiser fishing a #14 Flymph, Chuck Yang #18 Griffiths; Bob Dietz #14 March brown Flymph; George Opryszko #16 Beetle; Lou Reichel # 14 Pheasant Tail Wet; Bob O'Donnell #18 Prince Nymph; John Lee #14 BWO; Rachel Dagovitsz #14 Hares Ear Soft hackle; Ken Bowyer # 20 Griffiths; Shawn Ackley #16 Caddis; Dennis Covert #14 Beetle.
It was a good thing I grabbed a long sleeve shirt before leaving the house because the temperature in the parking lot at Masemore was 45 degrees at 7:30 am. After a long hot summer the feel of autumn chill is welcome indeed. Standing below the bridge looking at the mist that gathered in places along the bank I saw some fish rise to something I couldn't see and heard someone say the river was running at 135 cfs up from the summertime lows of around 30cfs.
Fish rising just below the bridge should have been a sign to us less perceptive souls. Those who fished downstream fared better than us misguided souls who ventured up into the canyon. Up closer to the dam leaf cover kept the sun off the water in many places and there we saw few bugs and fewer rises. participants below reported fishing to rising fish. It might be autumn but the trees of course are still green and completely leafed out, but I detected just a tinge of yellow, and think a few more days of 40 degree weather like this morning and the banks should begin to burst some color.
There was a fair number of fish caught and the tallies in inches are ; Bob O caught 7"; Lou 12''; Rachel with 18''; Shawn 24'' Bob D with 30''; Chuck 43'' and Bob K with 48'' inches!!!
So let it be known far and wide, that for the next year Bob Kaiser has full right to brag incessantly, tell tall fish tales and reign supreme!
The next outing will be the October campout at Big Run State park the 21st thru the 23rd. Details to follow.
Dennis Covert
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