Saturday, January 3, 2009

Rainbows

I was invited recently to fish for rainbow trout in a local pond by my friend "Uncle" Larry Offner. The morning was cool and clear at home but I was not going to plan on these conditions lasting. First, I was traveling a pretty good distance from home. Second, weather in south Louisiana changes every few minutes. By the time I reached I-55 the fog was rolling in. When I reached Pass Manchac the fog was quite thick, I almost slowed down. For the most part the trip was uneventful. I arrived at Bass Pro Shops in Denham Springs about a 1/2 hour early so I decided to run to the convenience store on the main drag for a cup of coffee. Let me say this about convenience store coffee, it is extremely hot! Not thinking I grabbed the cup when I got back to my truck and took a drink. I thought my lips were going to fall off.
I sent Uncle Larry a text to let him know I was in town and waiting. He called a few minutes later to let me know he was on his way. When he arrived I loaded my rods and vest in his truck then it was time to hit the ponds; after he stopped to put gas in the vehicle. Ok, now it's time to hit the ponds.
The first pond we went to was nice. I'm guessing it was about 1 1/2 acres in size and was recently stocked with rainbow trout. Uncle Larry started out with his famous Warm Fly while I threw a black Wooley Booger. Larry was using one of the fine rods in his collection, while I was using my 3wt Albright rod, Bugati reel, and Cabela's Prestige Plus fly line. The pond seemed to be full of life. I could see fish moving all over the place.
I threw the booger with all the finesse I could muster. I have never caught a rainbow trout and was looking forward to the prospect of catching this particular species. After several casts I changed color of the fly hoping to illicit a strike, but this was to no avail. I change my fly to a Warm Fly after seeing Larry catch several small bluegill, hoping this would change my luck.
My luck still didn't change to the positive. At the far end of the pond the fish were starting to rise so I switched to a dry fly, a white wing olive. I immediately started getting hits on this fly. I finally managed to hook a fish. With great disappointment, I landed a bluegill about 3 inches long.
I was having the same luck as Larry. We decided to break for lunch.
The first restaurant we tried was closed as we drove on to Uncle Larry's second choice, a place he would normally go to for breakfast. I've got to say lunch was pretty good. We had the barbecue. Large plates piled high with brisket on my plate and pork and ribs on his. The sides of beans, potato salads, and creamy cole slaw complemented the meal very well. We also had a plate with biscuits and cornbread we couldn't even get to we were so full by the end of the meal.
Satiated, we drove on to the next pond fully confident we would have rainbows tugging on the end of our lines in short order. We couldn't have been more wrong.
First, we had to park in a lot across from the park which caused us to cross a busy highway on foot. Two middle age men who have just eaten a large meal should not have to move that fast. I'm sure there is a law against it somewhere. After sprinting across the highway, if you can call what we did sprinting, we started the walk to the pond. The pond was located at the far end of the park, which seemed like it was several miles away. Again we had eaten a large meal. I still had my white wing olive tied on to my rod so being lazy I decided to throw this bug, the fact that fish were rising all over the pond didn't hurt matters. We had less success at this pond than the first. We decided to return to the first pond.
Upon arriving at the first pond I tied on a fly I modified from a pattern I saw on Uncle Larry's website. Immediately I got a strike and a hookup. The fist was quite a bit larger than the bluegill we had been catching earlier. I thought I had finally hooked a rainbow. When the fish finally came out of the pond I immediately recognized it as a species my brother and I had spent almost an entire fishing season chasing without success, the elusive sac-au-lait, called a crappie everywhere else in the US. I was elated and disappointed at the same time. On subsequent casts I caught 3 more of the fish that had been so elusive earlier in my life.
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Uncle Larry had wandered off to the far side of the pond, after I gave him one of the flies I was having success on of course. On making his way around the pond he did report to me that he had great success with the fly catching bluegill and sac-au-lait but no rainbows on this particular fly. He did in fact tell me he had caught a rainbow that was barely larger than his fly reel.
The sky started to grow dark with dusk fast approaching and we decided to finally admit defeat and pack it in. It was with a sadness that ached somewhere deep in my soul, I took down and packed my rod I the realization that I would be going home without catching my first rainbow trout. I was also elated in the fact that I had spent the day in the company of a great guy, one whom I can truly call my friend, Uncle Larry.
I must admit I did see a rainbow that afternoon. Not one that comes from a pond or a mountain stream but of the natural wonders seen in the sky and gave a fitting end to a great day fishing with a friend.
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