A Screwed Up Day

I miss trout, and with precious little action now in my local waters I determined to make a trip back to the Brookville tailwater. That's the closest place to home that I can find trout.

I screwed up. The cardinal rule when you're driving a distance to fish is to be sure to check water levels first.

I drove the two hours to Brookville without doing that, and, wouldn't you know it, someone had flipped a switch and tons of water were being released from the reservoir. Dang.

I stayed and fished. It was bank fishing, working streamers and nymphs as far as I could roll cast them. I was hopeful that the swing up along the bank might find a trout or two seeking refuge in the soft spots there. It reminded me a little of fishing Rocky Ford Creek in Washington state. The only difference was that I caught trout there.

I started fishing the current seam between this backwater and the racing flow in the main channel. I could roll cast far enough to cover the whole seam. There were a few fish breaking the surface right out in front of me, but I couldn't get anything to take a fly.

Then it was like someone flipped a switch. In quick succession I caught a mess of bass and crappie. I hoped for a trout in there somewhere but it was not to be.

Then the switch was flipped off and the fun was over.

On the one hand, I didn't catch any trout. On the other hand, that was the most fish I've caught in some time. Not bad for a screwed up day.