The Leaves Are Starting To Fall & The Rainbow Trout Are Starting To Bite

As I began my hour or so hike down the partially dry creek bed to get to this years favorite fall trout fishing spot, I couldn't help but notice that the leaves on the birch trees have not only changed color, but are also beginning to fall from the trees.  I would imagine that the three or four days of unseasonably cool weather that we had a week or so ago "triggered" the color change, but whatever it is that is causing the leaves to do their thing earlier than normal, I'm not complaining.

I love to see the fall color change happen, because it triggers the real start of the fall trout fishing season in me and I know that I have some great fishing for the next few months.  I had returned to the same stretch of the swan river that I fished on the last trip and for the first 40 minutes or so I didn't receive a single bite.  This really confused me, but within another 10 or so minutes I had a bite, which I missed, and caught and released a nice little 15 inch bull trout.  At this point I worked my way downstream to a really nice hole that I discovered at the end of my last trip.

I tried to fish this hole but found that it is so deep and hard to get good casting angles in, that I would have to try to fish a little further downstream.  Well after about 5 minutes of drift fishing a stretch that looked good, I had another bite.  As I quickly lifted the tip of my rod to set the hook I felt that I was dealing with a fairly heavy trout.  I started to slowly step back, trying to raise the trout enough so I could see it.  It was nice alright, but not fighting like a rainbow of that size usually does?  With 5 minutes I had the rainbow landed, and it was indeed a nice one (about 20 inches) and I quickly removed the gang hooks and released the fish. 

I worked my way downstream a step or two and began fishing again.  I quickly hooked another larger rainbow, and this rainbow trout acted like I have come to expect during the fall of the year.  The trout immediately jumped out of the water and when it reentered the river began zipping line from my reel as the fish bolted directly away from me.  It the made on last jump and just like that was gone.  This time the line didn't break, but rather the small #10 gang hooks that I prefer to use simply disengaged from the rainbows mouth. "Jesus!", I thought to myself, "That was a nice fish".  Oh well, it was fun while it lasted and saved what would have otherwise been a less than epic fish catching day.