Greg and I both needed a break from law school, so we decided to come to the River of Life Farm over spring break. I don’t think I will ever forget coming down the hill and seeing the river for the first time. It was such an amazing sight. We left St. Paul at 3:45 a.m., and arrived at the ROLF around 4:00 in the afternoon. Needless to say, we were a little exhausted, but we decided to wet a line before dark.
The river seemed so overwhelming, the water was so much bigger than the spring creeks we were used to in southern Minnesota. The evening went by without a bite, but we were amazed to find a 1 ½ inch stonefly nymph in a patch of moss. That night, with some help from Kyle and Myron, Greg tied up some stoneflies for the following day. We were excited to see what the day would bring.
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We started our second day with some high hopes. We figured we were not getting the fly down far enough. After all, anyone who has fished this river can attest to the strength of its current. More shot, and heavier flies were on the menu, but the fish would still not cooperate. Fortunately, the weather did, and the day was a beautiful one. About noon, Greg and I were fishing along the Kelly Ford, and the frustration was really getting to both of us. I looked downstream to see Greg sitting on the shore with his head down. I shared his frustration. I kept on casting my prince nymph and was stunned to hear Greg let out a yell. I could tell right away that it was one of excitement and not of anger.
The arc in his rod informed me that he had hooked into something good, and I rushed downstream to help out. For some reason he was holding his rod up, and his arm was in the water. I got over there to find that the line was wrapped around something under the surface. The water was about 3-4 feet deep there, and he could have easily been swept off his feet in his attempts. I grabbed him by the vest as he searched for the tangle. I really wanted him to land this fish, and noticed a long stick stuck on a boulder. I caught its edge with my boot and managed to set it free. Luckily, the line came loose, and surprisingly, the fish was still hooked. It was another good fish. Greg told me that he gave up on the nymph’s and decided to tie on an elk-hair caddis fly. I immediately noticed other surfacing fish, and tied on an Adam’s. The hatch was really turning on, and there were times when six different fish were surfacing within my casting range. I caught two more fish in the next hour, one jumped three times! I was beginning to wonder if there were any small trout in the North Fork of the White River since all our fish were over 14 inches.
That night, Greg managed to land two hefty brown trout on a size 18
parachute fly……..Wow! The final fish was probably pushing 18-20
inches! We were upset with ourselves for not trying dry flies earlier,
but it was a great feeling to have such a productive day. There is
nothing more exciting than seeing a wild rainbow crash your fly.
Our final day brought cloudy skies and cooler temperatures. We were
hoping for a hatch like the previous day, but didn’t find one. When
we got to Kelly Ford, there wasn’t a bug in sight. I went back to a
size 10 prince nymph and was utterly shocked to get a strike of my
first cast! After landing the fish, I couldn’t have thrown four more
casts before hooking into another one. I could tell right away that
this was a monster, and could see it holding in the current and
refusing to move. I fought the fish for at least five minutes before I
could get it into calmer, shallower water. I ended up about 200-yards
downstream when I brought the fish up to my feet. I reached down to
grab it and I heard that horrible popping sound and watched the fish
swim away. It was heartbreaking. Next time I go to the ROLF, I’m
bringing a net!
Greg and I each caught one
more fish that day before heading back home. It was a great trip, and
it was worth the cooler temperatures to have the entire river to
ourselves for three days. Even if the fish aren’t biting, the
scenery was worth the drive. What a beautiful river, and incredible
hospitality. Myron really made us feel like part of his family, and he
did everything possible to make our trip enjoyable.
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