March 9, 2023 – I Decided to Make the More Challenging Choice? – Valley Creek

Pretty little ones on a pretty day.

On the this, the best weather day of the week since Monday, I had every intention of poking around a nearby DHALO and catching some fresh stockies amongst the potential crowd of hopefuls.  In the end, however, I just couldn’t do it.  Instead, I decided to fish a dry dropper in the low and clear water closer to the headwaters of Valley, a place I had every intention of writing off until perhaps next winter due to all the pressure it's been getting in the Park.  I ended up sneaking around effectively enough to catch ten little fish up to 7 inches but not effectively enough not to spook a ton of others, including some better ones.  I spooked one good one that I had not seen by landing my dry right on his head, I assume.  He immediately shot back downstream at me and likely sent some friends and family hauling ass upstream too.  I definitely hung up due to the wind gusts and spoiled at least two holes, and I definitely lost the best fish of the day after a short fight.  With midges in the air and some really small olives, I was fishing an 18 or maybe even 20 riffle nymph under the dry fly, so I guess I just didn’t get a good enough hookset.  It was enough action and surely challenging enough, so I did not regret my decision to forego fishing for stocked fish.  Had I landed the one 10- or 11-incher that jumped off, I may have even counted it a banner couple of hours on the water, especially under these conditions.