The fishing season is winding down here in Colorado. The mice start
coming into my house just about the time when the fish starts slowing
down. Usually I catch about half a dozen mice over a couple weeks' time.
This year I've caught 25 since yesterday afternoon and I just heard another
trap snap as I write this. I don't know if it's an omen of an approaching
bad Winter or the sign of a wet Summer gone by, but the mice have come
in in droves.

I went out to THE pond a few weeks ago and there were very few fish cruising and none of the big ones. I did manage to catch one medium sized fish on my third cast. Every fish after that one ignored my fly or ran away from it. Think it will be next Spring before I get a chance for one of the
big ones. Although I've only fished it a couple times, the pattern seems
to be that the fish are catchable and will show interest in the fly when I
first start out. Once a fish is hooked, they are MUCH more wary. I
think the strategy is to wait for a big fish that's in casting range
before starting to fish. (It is hard to pass up 20" fish in order to
wait for one of the big ones that may or may not show)

Last week I drove over to my friend Charlie's home river. Mine is still VERY high. The river was at normal levels for this time of year, low and clear.
Since the only hatches happening this time of year are TINY Olives and
midges, and Charlie's river is a rough and tumble one, I didn't expect
to catch any fish on the top. So I started with nymphs below a little
indicator. Took a couple fish on the nymphs and then got a rise to the
indicator. A couple casts later, had another fish come up and look at
the indicator. Changed to one of Charlie's Stimulators with a soft
hackle dropper.

Caught a bunch of fish, about half on the dry. Went up to a feeder and
caught some more. Great day! It was quite a bonus. I thought that type of
"good" fishing was over for the year. It was more like a peak Summer day
than one at the end of October. Those days are more than numbered and
I'm glad I caught one last one.

Willi