April 18, 2003
Last week, Dax and I traveled up to the Henry's Fork in Idaho to try out for the Great Outdoor Games to be held in Reno this July. I was knocked out early and had to go fishing for three days while Dax was competing in the casting and fishing events. He did well enough to make it into the finals with a nine-inch fish and took fifth overall. However, it wasn't enough to get into the Reno event. I kept myself amused fishing various sections of the Henry's Fork with John Roberts of the Truckee Guide Network. There was a nice midge hatch every afternoon that provided some fast action for a few hours. The fish were fat, strong, and smart. They managed to dent my fly box pretty good. The trip was a great tune up for the upcoming season.

Speaking of the upcoming season, the opener is on the 26th of April, next week! I'm ready for a great season. The water flows on the streams and rivers are moderate and cold. A rapid warm-up or rain event could send them out-of-shape temporarily. Stampede and Boca have been fishing good. They could be alternatives if the weather changes. Midges, BWO's, and Streamers are the ticket on these lakes. On the moving waters I would stick to nymphing with a big stonefly pattern.

The weather currently in Truckee, its still snowing! We've had 80 plus inches at Alpine Meadows in the last 14 days and more is expected. This should help the water situation for the summer and slow down the action on the opener. Best of luck and dress warmly.

Brian