I am a study hound. No doubt about it, if I am interested in something, I will read everything I can find about it. The way I look at it, the more I know before I start, the shorter the learning curve when I actually undertake the task at hand. Without question this is pure genetics. My Dad is the same way. Knowledge doesn’t give you the upper hand, knowledge IS the upper hand.

To further explain, let me take you to my latest fishing trip. The river I was on is stocked every November and as I stood on the bank I scanned the water for any sign of activity. Nada. No rises, no swirls, just the steady roll of the water. I know they are in there, and I know that they are young and new to the neighborhood, but what I didn’t know where they were.

Now, back to the comments about study. One of the things I have learned about stocked trout is that they are accustomed to being huddled in together; so odds were that if I could find one, I would locate several. Another thing I have learned is that feeding trout like a moderately swift current, steady food supply, and a quick means of escape it threatened. By combing this information, it was obvious that I needed to fish an area that was roughly forty feet in front of me. Riffles, bubbles denoting the primary feed line of the river, and enough big rocks to provide cover.

The rod I was fishing was a wispy 3wt. bamboo that I chose because I knew that if I hooked a fish it would be small. Rigged with one of my favorite go to’s, I began casting and for several minutes I was unsure if there were any fish in there at all. Then it happened…BAM! My yarn indicator sank and I gave a swift tug. From that point on it was one fish after another, seemingly on every cast. The fish were hanging out exactly where I thought they would be. All of them in the ten inch range…with one exception.

The subtlest take of the day proved to be the best fish. The indicator didn’t submerge, it moved sideways against the current. I set the hook and almost immediately my line began racing away and the bend in the 3wt. removed any questions. Twice it ran causing my small reel to whir before I finally brought it to the net. A nice Rainbow of 13 or 14” with vibrant colors. One quick pop and the barbless hook was free, and so was my catch of the day.

The water where these fish were feeding would not be the first choice of fishing locations. Several other spots looked fishy. But with countless trips under my belt and a wealth of knowledge through a passionate study of my sport, I knew where they would be.

The day was great, I lost count of the number of fish brought to hand, and I was given yet another opportunity to spend time in the one great refuge I have found. Time spent with God, nature, and a 6’ 9” bamboo that got the workout of a lifetime.