PHD's

Some trout are geniuses. Or some days they just seem like it. Their is a particular deep bend pool that I usually would have fished already by this time of year, but today I had time and remembered it. I like this pool because it is deep and cold, and often seems to be the only good spot on the entire stream. I also like it because it's flat calm surface and picky fish challenge my abilities. Today I couldn't nail them down. I had a few hopper takes, one on a soft hackle, and two on sulfur parachutes. Nothing that seemed like a good decision panned out. Ants, small emergers, and tiny nymphs that float within inches of the surface failed to take anything. Fishing is tough when the fish earn PHD's

A few other spots on a different river gave up fall fish and smallmouth, but that was nothing spectacular.