Bamboo Fly Rod on the Yough River

Type: Nontidal
Region: Western
Location: Youghiogheny River

Earlier this week I received one of the best gifts ever from a good friend � an Orvis 5-wt Bamboo Flyrod. I always dreamed of owning one, and thought I would wait until the kids were out of college before treating myself to one. So, having not fished in more a month, I rigged the rod up and headed down to the Youghiogheny River C&R Trout Fishing Area. In my haste, I forgot my vest along with all my flies, but fortunately I had an Elk-hair Caddis and a bead-head caddis emerger already tied on the leader. The river was flowing high but a few caddis and some very large Pteronarcys stoneflies were hatching. I missed a couple trout in the deep fast water, and then a nice brown trout jumped clear out of the water and grabbed the dry fly. And what a fight, it uncharacteristically jumped several time like a rainbow trout, then started peeling off line downstream into the faster deep water. It then started fighting like brown trout often do, that is, by trying to wedge itself under a boulder in a deep hole. I did manage to land this fine brown trout, took a couple of quick pictures and released him back to the river. I walked back upstream and cast the Elk-hair to the same spot, and amazingly another twin brown trout took the dry fly and I had a repeat of the first fight! I landed a rainbow and another brown, and missed more trout than I care to admit before darkness settle in. What a great experience with the first time ever I fished with a bamboo rod � thanks a million Neil!