After a long cold snap, then a week or more of a warm spell, things are going to cool off once again. The last 5 or 6 trips ive taken over the last two weeks have resulted in no fish and no bites. Clearly time for a change. after noticing some posts about busch wildlife, i decided id give it a try. Number one, its close. Number two, no kayaking involved, three, Ice free water for the last couple days, 4, the trout out at bush might be hungry in light of the fact its going to get might chilly again. In all honesty, one day is probably as good as another, I actually wouldn't know because the last time i fished trout there was like 10 years ago, one time!

The wind was blowing feirce...up to 30mph and the temp was below freezing causing my guides to build up a layer of line grabing crust. I started with an 8wt shooting head i just rigged up last night until one of my connectin loops pulled free and i almost lost my sinking head. I headed back to the car to get another rod. I decided to go witht the 7'9" 3wt. I made it back around the lake just as some other fishermen were ariving. I started to fish, and to my surprise, It seemed like there were plenty of fish biting. The action wasn't scorching but it was consistant. 8-15 casts per fish. I will take that any day! The fish were all what id expect of them. around 13-14 inches mostly. As i fished i had a yellow estez egg fly bust off on the strike. My hooks were old and a bit rusted. so i took my tippet up from the 6x to the 5x section and tied on a little beadhead estez bugger . Of everything I used this little guy seemed to be the best. I just cast to the wind side of the little jetty and almost let it dead drit toward me, but I did stip some action to the fly. On one such cast, i detected a strike and set the hook. tug. flash. "Holy Shoot, what is that, Is that a carp? that cant be a rainbow! wtf is that!" about this time im realizing one way or the other Carp or Trout ive got a big fish, and oh yeah is that my line around my leg? shoot! acrobatics to get my leg out...Ive got my leg out..now the fish is making burst and my drags too loose! oh shoot, im gunna lose em! I make some feeble attemts to reach around to the drag knob with my line hand but all i can do is loosen it further. Ok, swithch hands tighten drag. now, wheres the fish? oh no! am i snagged. i tug and tug and motion! ive gotem still, hes not snagged up. he makes a couple good runs, screeming out line. ive almost got em licked, if i can just beach im" and slowly I do." holy cow!!!! masive!" i bend over and lip him like a big ol bass and lay him on some grass. i secretly hope my fellow anglers at the lake are aware of my predicament. after all, shouldnt the dancing and running around and screeming drag have gotten their attention? oK focus....how big is e? ok . i hold him up to my rod mouth open tail flaired and hes 1/2 inch shy of my fisrt guide. that guide is 24 inches from the but. almost certainly 24 on a measuring board, good enough for me to claim 24 I think?. i lift the fish by its mouth and put my other hand under its belly so the guy across the way can get a good look. he's not paying any attention! ... and then quikly resusitate and release. Im not sure anyone whitnessed it and i left the camera in the car. too cold to take pictures i guess. ? i need to start keeping a camera on me at all times. helmet cam or somesuch. long story short, Im going back first chance i get. good times.