Every season opening is a bit different… the weather, the water, the fish and even myself, are changing continuously. Except for the fact that on the evening before I realize that I should eventually sit down and tie some flies… and that it gets late after midnight until I am finally satisfied with the content of my flybox.
Early in the morning I pack my stuff and head out to my good friend Matze. After several years we finally manage to start the season together. A bit nervous we sit down for a quick breakfast and a beer… and feel relieved as we eventually stand by the water.
Snowmelt and winter have eroded the banks, new riffles and eddies have appeared. Sand and gravel banks and dead trees are no longer where they had been in fall… it is impressive how such a small stream will move a tree of several tons downstream. And the beaver has also done its share to change the looks of the creek.
The weather is pretty warm this year – last year I had to remove ice from the rings constantly, but today I don’t even need a jacket. Will the fish be active? Will they like the warm weather?
Unfortunately, the trout are not biting very well. The water is still very cold and it is flowing fast. My newly tied streamers produce several mid-sized fish, but none of the big ones show up. The trout are extremely beautiful though – typical for spring, they are very lightly colored, almost silvery. The black and red dots stand out with great contrast and make the fish look abolutely marvellous. The first few days of the season are usually good for a big fish, but not so this year. Everything changes always, everything flows.
