I only caught one salmon on sunday - raised a zillion off the corner out by the edge of the icepack. They were hitting one particular fly pattern consistently, then petered out. The fish turned back on late in the day but I was toast by then, what with the 6 hours of fishing in the driving wind and cold and lack of sleep from going out the night before. I raised a pile of em but couldn't hook up. My buddy Trav showed up about 5 and I netted a couple for him, then went home. That last two hours of the day he cleaned house, catching 10 more. The meat fisherman clued in that all the action was off that corner and I guess they crowded in on us like sardines. They caught nothing. One guy finally asked Trav "What the hell are you catching them all on?"
"Flies." Trav said.
"I got a smelt but they aren't hitting it. Bait's always better than flies, I don't understand it."
"If bait's so great howcome you're skunked?"
"Well, you got the dock, that's where they all are."
"No, there's plenty right in front of you too. Watch." Trav cast his fly right next to the guy's bobber and nabbed one. "See? They're swimming all around your smelt - don't ask me why they won't eat it."
Trav called me yesterday and said another friend of ours, Danny Hashem was there all day monday and had caught a bunch off the Alton bridge! So they're moving into the river finally. I'm going to go up on friday morning and fish. I got kids this coming weekend, so I am not sure how much I'll manage to get out. We'll see. I think I'll be in Alton sunday evening after I drop off the kids, for sure. You ought to come by - I'll give you a few of those hot flies that served us so well.
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