Hexin'

After a very weird start to summer and some really poor hex conditions here on the west side of the state we finally hit it decent on the 3rd. We got left the parking lot around 9pm and were at our spot around 9:30pm. These are what hex boots look like from hiking through the muck.

Normally while fishing we like to drink an assortment of micro brews but hex fishing is different. After a hot and sweaty hike some thirst quenching beer is what's on tap while waiting for the big bugs to show.

Sure enough around 10:15pm we saw our first few spinners in the air and shortly after fish started to rise pretty regularly. I found a pod of fish rising at the head of a pool and made my way into casting position. I could tell there was at least one good fish mixed in with some smaller fish. First cast produced a small 10 inch brown, and the next cast after that produced another fairly small 13 incher. The two fish left rising were both solid and I laid a 30 foot backhand cast into the feeding lane. The fly went down in a boil after a few feet and I knew this one was much better. After a good tussle on the 6wt I had this fatty in the net. I didn't get a tape on him but he was at least 18 inches and really thick.

Unfortunately, by the time we grabbed the photo, revived the fish, and got my fly re-dressed the action was pretty much over... the spinner fall was the shortest I've ever seen. A few spinners got caught in some side eddy's and every 10 minutes or so a fish would slurp one up. I timed one of these sippers and got him to go but all I did was prick him. That was the last cast I made. A half hour later another fish started sipping the left over spinners and after dozens of drifts Jeff got him to go around 11:45pm. He wasn't nearly as big as we thought he was based on his gulping rises but still a nice skunk breaker for Jeff.

That officially closed out the night and we hiked back to the truck around midnight. Nothing epic but at least we had bugs and some decent rising fish to cast at. Not sure how much longer the hatch will last or if I'll get out again...........