Last Night = Perfect

ONLY A FEW CLOUDS

It's Snowing Now

the moon is right on time

THE MOON, THE PINES, THE RIVER, AND NO CLOUDS - HUZZAH!

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.. A half dozen of the neighbors scored big time with big fish last night. The moon is not quite full but it was up at twilight time and the work day was cut short in favor of a bit of catching.

THE OUTRIGGER

.. The clouds come and go. The snow dribbles in and dribbles out. Last night was absolutely perfect. There was a bright moon, (not quite full,) and the clouds held off until well after midnight. There is still some time for nailing the predatory denizens of the deep, (Between The Lakes.) The clouds pick their own time for appearance and disappearance. Real fishers keep an eye on the sky. Temperatures have been mild and fishing has been good - catching even better.
.. This is the time of year reserved for the neighbors. Famous fishers and feather merchants have bailed out of town for warmer places. Guides have no visitors to guide and are either in the warm world or scraping along with their other part-time jobs. The authentic fishers of our town are out in the elements, rod in hand, stabbing fish in the lip. It's sort of like a family affair.
.. Of course they are using their "mice." The mouse is a generic term in our neighborhood. It refers to a myriad of deer hair flies that create the requisite commotion in the water. Some are cute and tied to look like a real mouse. Most are tied to produce a splash and a long trailing wake combined with a substantial silhouette.
.. We've mentioned this before, we'll continue to mention it. There are more ways to catch a trout than with miniscule hooks and scraps of fluff. Groceries is what big fish want. Groceries is what the neighbors have been flinging.
.. There is a not so secret fly that was developed last fall and has caught the imagination of the younger set. They call it the outrigger. It's a fairly standard deer hair fly with a couple of interesting modifications. It has a very long calf tail trailing element and a pair of stiff feathers jutting out from the sides.
.. Of course there is mythology, hype, stories, theory, and speculation about the modifications. It seems that the wake and silhouette created is ideal, (from the speculated trout's eye view as imagined by fisher folk.)
.. Right now, however, it's all about the clouds and the moon. Whither, whether, and when are questions that the neighbors are asking. Tonight will be problematic. Tomorrow should be better. Valentine's day might be perfect.
.. Should you choose to abandon the conventional, poetically tweedy mindset and seek big fish and easy catching we suggest that you plan some time during this year's full moons. The Old Farmer's Almanac has the dates listed HERE. They make no mention of the timing for clouds, snow, rain, hail, sleet or thunder.
.. As for the neighbors; they have the advantage. They look to the clock. They look to the sky. They look to the river and box of chocolates be damned.

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WALLPAPER:  "THE OUTRIGGER" - POISED FOR ACTION