Got back on it for a few hours today. This year was even drier than last - we're back in drought for sure - so I reckoned that end of April would be just fine for mid-elevation streams. I was right. The stream I visited today is an early-season go-to for me. It's one of the only streams that runs undammed from its headwaters to the Sacramento River Valley, probably because it doesn't have enough volume to be worth damming up. I went to a spot around the 4,000 foot level and found the stream pretty much like I would expect it to be in, say, late May or June of a normal year.
The water was a little cold at just under 50 degrees, there were lots of bugs out so I went ahead and rigged up a parachute Adams on my Hardy Stream 3wt. Turned out to be a good call. The spot where I park is right next to the stream, and there's a run literally 100 feet from the car where I always seem to catch a fish. Today was no exception. All in all, I had a nice morning - caught four fish on the Adams, and got grabs on a dry dropper and stimulator, until the action quieted down after noon. All in all it made for a pretty nice way to start my mountain stream season. I'll be getting out early this year to get ahead of the low flows. Pics follow...
Rigged up old school - Hardy glass rod, Hardy Featherweight reel, and an English fishing bag
First fish to hand - a nice-looking wild rainbow
Another one (I had to pay extra for the classic fish arc pose)
A little winter stonefly landed on my hat
Mid-altitude Sierra forests