During dinner last evening Jackie and I noticed midges hovering over the trees off our dining room window. I wolfed my elk steak down, grabbed my fishing gear and headed to the river near Story access arriving around 6pm. Clear, calm conditions with 52 degrees and lots of midges in the air. I never saw a rise while I knotted on fresh tippet and a Skittering Zelon Midge but figured the fish had seen emerging pupae and impaired adult midges during the mid-day when midges typically emerge this time of the year.

I eased into position on a favorite midge pool, walking on my knees and sitting on a rock along the shoreline all the while keeping low and out of sight of the resident brown and rainbow trout. On my 3rd cast a fine 14" rainbow sipped my offering. A few more casts and a 12" brown came up, then a 8" rainbow followed by a 16" brown. All the while I had to smile to myself knowing I was the only one on the river enjoying some fun dry fly fishing. A few minutes later I busted a heavy rainbow that took the fly and bolted upstream. We parted ways when my 6x tippet snapped. It all happened so quickly I could only shake may head at the "rookie" mistake I'd just made, one i make from time-to-time by hanging on to the fly line on the trouts' initial run after it takes the fly. Afterwards I was treated to a couple fine jumps the fish made as it tried to free itself of the barbless hook it now sported in its jaw.

As I knotted on a new fly 4 mule deer came to water and spoiled my fun by sloshing through my spot. I moved upstream to another pocket and took another nice 14" brown before the sun sank behind the Gravelly Mountains, the temp dropped and I headed home. A nice hour of dry fly fishing on a warm May evening!

Jackie and I head to Michigan today to see family and do a Yellowstone fly fishing/Yellowstone Park Foundation show. We are back Sunday and I look forward to bringing more spring fishing stories here so stay tuned!