Fishing the North Fork of the White in "The Good OLE Summer Time"

What's it like fishing the North Fork in Summertime? Doubtless Spring differs from Autumn; Autumn from Winter; Winter from Summer. The seasons differ. Each has its own particular set of properties; length of day, temperature, foliation or lack of it; its wild flowers as so on and so forth. What seems salient to me, is that the North Fork doesn't change with or because of the seasons. It just keeps on rollin' along housing trout that, for me anyway, are tough to catch.

The first time on the North Fork it had been arranged that one Myron McKee would guide me down. When I called Myron and he insisted we leave early because they would be counting the fish and we had to be ahead of the vessel which would undertake this work. I had caught no trout by the time we stopped for lunch and Myron led me across the river to see the process of counting trout underway. From the vessels holding well the harvested fish were removed one by one and all pertinent facts about them would be recorded then they would be returned to the river for some lucky angler. Hmmm!

What astonished me when I ruminated about this process was that we had drifted right through an abundance of fish, big fish, and had caught nothing. It seemed impossible that we could pass over so many fish and not catch one. I could scratched my head in dismay. The river was full of trout, all kinds. What was going on? When I took the matter up I got the range of stock answers, the one more frequent "you got to get it down". But we did get it "down". I know because I hate casting with split shot.

For me there is an answer. Trout are a special challenge anywhere. At the North Fork they are far more so. Its a wonderful river (my unequivocal favorite) full of wild trout. Getting one at the North Fork is like getting five at other rivers. Now perhaps I should admit that I like to fish my way which is walking the river, finding the likely spots and generally speaking doing things my way. I'm not really much for boats unless they are needed to get from one place to the other, and I generally listen when someone tells me how. I listen.

This time I took four very large trout, one a fine 22 inch brown. Each took 4 to 10 minutes to land. It was a singular experience. A memory has been indented upon my person so deeply that it will stand me in good stead the rest on my life. There are very few places where such an experience is even possible.

Now I know that this turned out to be a eulogy to the river rather that a description of summer fishing there. But truthfully, I found the North Fork much the same, the difficulties the same (except perhaps a little more heat discomfort). It is a great challenge that when one meets a deep seated memory is created. person. A memory that surfaces now and then to be savored and and to provide contentment.