Long time since I've filed a report, but here's a recap of two days fishing. My yellow Lab Ginger and I hit the water about 9:15 Thursday and I headed downstream to one of many favorite spots and it didn't fail to produce.
Within minutes of deploying my first rig it was fish on! Did the solo net technique and lifted a 16" redband into the boat. Gently removed the Kekeda black/orange fly and slipped the net back in the water and let it go. Reset everything and it was another instant hookup, this time a clipped 'bow that went in the cooler. In an hour's time I had my limit of 5 chunky 'bows ranging from 14 - 15 1/2". They are very healthy for this time of year, hope it's an indicator of what is to come!
I fished two rods Thursday, and after three 'bows in the cooler, decided to experiment and fish the black/orange Kekeda bait free while fishing the perch pattern Kekeda with chunk of worm. Surprisingly, the bait free Kekeda caught two of my five 'bows sans bait!
My lovely wife joined me Friday after work and we launched just after 8am Saturday morning. Since I did well Thursday, I returned to the same spot and repeated the same scenario, within minutes of deploying the first rig, fish on, and another 16" redband, safely released. We had some flurries of action interspersed with lulls, but we managed 7 in the cooler, 3 redbands released, and 3 or 4 lost at the boat before heading back to the launch at 11:30. Winds were stiff and the ride back into the wind and 2' swells was as expected.
Only ran leaded line rigs both of which were out 155' and fishing orange/black and perch Kekeda flies tipped with a bit of crawler. Trolling speed was 2.8 - 3mph.
Nothing to complain about this early in the season. :-)


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