Friday Fly Fishing Club

Cast of characters

I hadn't travelled far from Salmon River when I began planning my next time on the water, the planning and anticipation all add to the fun.  I cast the net and Henry, Bryan and James, trout-bums all, were eager to join.  We needed enough water to spread out and Henry needed to be back in Philly Friday night so we chose a bottom up approach to Jeremy's Run.  Jeremy's Run is one of my very favorite streams and I was excited to introduce Bryan and Henry to its secrets.

X-Files Iron deposits in the rocks

Henry fished Gunpowder Falls on Thursday and stayed in Front Royal on so we met up for coffee and caravaned to our jumping off point off RR 611 Friday Morning.   It was cool, grey and drizzly and promised to get wetter as we geared up with light rods and stepped off up the trail for our 25 min walk-in.   The run was gurgling at low-pool and looked fishy.

Boulders pools 25-min in

Henry Fish-on

Henry employs the oft maligned sit and dangle technique

We decided to fish in pairs with one JR vet with each pairing and meet at the first falls at 1430.   Henry and I dropped off the well trod path and out of the fishing fire team and entered slid into the river just as we descended to the boulder pools about 25-min into our walk.  We'd fish up the waterfall, James and Bryan would start at the waterfall.

Fall splendor

Great color on a stream standard sized brookie

We had a great day and all (less Bryan) re-learned lessons about transitioning from 8wts to 2 & 3wt rods; drift, drag, line maintenance, hair width tippet, etc.  When all is right, all is forgotten and what remains is anticipation and the river.  All was right this morning as flecks of color rose from cobble beds to nail dry and dropper.  The simplicity of brook trout adding clarity and simplicity, helping us understand answers to questions we're often too busy to ask. We each caught our share and it seemed when we met at 1430 that the biggest trout were the furthest up the run even though the water begins to get skinnier. 

The colors of fall