Got on the river by 12:30. Up and clear with visibility to 5'. Sunny and I couldn't see fish anywhere. Float and fly went over like a lead balloon. There was some interest in my 3/8oz white chatterbait. Drew one fish out of a deep hole who turned away when he spotted me.
Hit one winter hole where I saw another fish follow the chatterbait. It committed when I let it drop and started again. When I pulled the fish out of the water, I immediately recognized the fish. It's been caught 4 times that I know of by man. I had caught it twice last winter, and Zpac caught it on a float in March! I think it's grown about an inch this year.
Nabbed a dink who inhaled the CB from the middle of a large pool. Target was an old friend. Hoped to find the bass stacked up in there. Nothing. Waded further downstream without luck. Headed back up and hit the big winter pool from the other side where I picked up a calico boxer admirer and one more dink on LC Pointer 100. At the top of the pool, a 12"er on a tube. I hit another dink on the chatter back at one-eye's home.
The boxer finally went for a swim. Why not? The water was the perfect cool to the sun's warm. Upper half pleasantly toasty/lower half pleasantly cool. Perfect. This yin and yang gave me an ear to ear grin. Perfect moment.
Busted a 16.79999" smallie on the chatterbait in about 4-5' of water in another winter hole upstream. Walked on some pipes and had a half dozen smallies jut out from under one at a choke point, caught another dink on a tube sweeping a short line under the pipe. Little ones sure are dumb.
Finally, chucked a tube into a push water area littered with boulders. The tube got slammed and a nice fight erupted as I tried to keep my FnF rod out of the way. Fish went 17" and change. Threw back in and got another dink. Both nice fish came as the sun went out of the sky.
Internet Weirdos Land Here Too!