Swinging flies at dawn is always more fun with a partner. The partner must be willing to give a tug. This morning the best I could generate was a bump and more than likely that bump was generated by a rock. Rocks can't tug and they certainly don't dance.
The river level on the Rocky was about perfect as the sun rose behind me. Suspended silt in the water gave it a light brown hue and an occasional maple and oak leaf drifting by added some splash of color. A great blue heron let out a blood-curdling shriek before trying to land on the cliff in front of me. Mallards drifted by before flying by. About three quarters of the way down the long pool a fish splashed. It was a big enough splash to be a steelhead, but it could have been a bass or even a sucker.
This was my first outing for steelhead in the fall of 2012. I never expect to catch anything my first time out. And I increased the odds against me by using the spey rod. I changed flies and sink tips until I could get a swing that didn't catch on the shale bottom. With no dance partner available I focused on improving my double spey cast. The practice will come in handy because soon there will be more potential partners in the rivers of Steelhead Alley.
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