I got back on the water this afternoon with high hopes. The Poudre looked great on arrival - low flows and fairly clear. Lots of bugs flying around. Hot, though, with bright sun and no cloud cover. I got a little excited when I spotted this huge stone fly casing on a rock near the water.
Thinking back to the last time I pondered the validity of "signs," I decided that maybe this time it would work out. With casings on the rocks, surely I'd be best suited by tying on a stone fly. So, an elk-hair caddis took its place as the lead fly with a gold stone fly trailer. Off into the water I stomped with a purpose.
I soon found, however, that the key variable in the whole equation - the fish - weren't about to cooperate today. I don't take a terribly scientific approach to my fly fishing so I don't carry a thermometer, but I'd venture to guess that the water temperature was higher than normal. I was quite comfortable wading in my shorts, and didn't feel even the slightest initial shock of cold that normally hits me for the first few seconds in. For freshwater trout, I imagine the water felt like a hot tub today. Save for an infrequent rise, I saw almost no evidence that fish were anywhere in the river.
After exhausting both the caddis and the gold stone, I tried everything else I could think of - BWO, double nymph rig, hoppers - with no results on anything.
Guess the trout were just chillin' in the warm water today. It happens. The stone flies are safe for today.
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