After going without a bite yesterday and putting in the most time on the river for one day this season I thought I should be able to change that today.
A bit of frost greeted me and the other early other anglers that were at the river at first light that is coming a little earlier, by 3 minutes each couple of days. Hopefully winter is slowly slipping away, lets hope so as we have seen enough snow this year.
I settle in with another angler I know at the scene of some other action this week, we are pleased to see the water in good shape once again today. We feel there is a fish waiting out there for us as the run looks so promising once again. I am hoping it will be a wild fish for the tube.
The other angler has the first chance but on the strike he comes up empty. A few minutes later it is my turn as the Maple Leaf Drennan dips and on the strike I make contact but for the 4th time out of the last 6 hookups the fish is only on for a head shake and a splash before it is gone.
We work the run and are joined by other anglers in this and the surrounding spots but I see nothing on for the two hours I stay in the area. There is a dozen or so anglers for most of time at one time.
I decide time to do some exploring and check out some new areas but that will be after a visit to Tims for some refreshment and a snack. I also check in with The Master and he had released a hatchery and heard of one wild landed but not tubed as no one around to do that honour.
After a leisurly break I am back at the river a bit before noon and I end up walking over a mile of river. I found some nice spots but the only opportunity I had was when not looking at my float. Instead I was watching my footing while walking down river in the middle of the drift and I feel a good tug but when I look up the float is above water, I did not even see it go down. It would not give me a second chance.
I fished for another 30 minutes down river and then returned back to the mentioned spot again and see if the fish had forgotton about the feel of the hook but it would not or had moved up river. It was near the end of tubing time, 3 o'clock and the rain started falling, I was tired too and I had another mile to walk back to the Leaf Mobile.
My day started with an opportunity and ended with another chance when for the only time during the whole trip I was not watching my float.
It shows once again in sports angling things can happen when you least expect it.