I decided to hit Rattlesnake this morning with the idea that, before too many hot days roll through, I might get lucky and find this morning still holding onto the evening's cooler temperature. When I got there, the water level was the highest I've ever seen. Also, the surface temp was around 65 degrees. This was encouraging. I started out using a skinny black leech/bugger pattern behind a type III uniform sink line and a 4X tippet. In less than 10 minutes in the water, I had a fish on. This, and the rest that followed, was quickly brought to hand and revived by kicking my float tube and keeping the trout's head into the current. This method was very successful, as the fish quickly bolted off into the depths after only a couple of seconds. Successful catch, successful release. The morning ended with over 12 fish brought to hand and one 18" fatty to bless my beady eyes. The latter trout was #9. There were a good number of trout leaping throughout the morning, with a small stretch of the doldrums for about an hour. My only slow stretch was for about 1.5 hours because of a series of bottom snags that ultimately robbed me of my only black bugger. I switched to a gold bead head black tail and hackle, olive-bodied woolly bugger that brought to hand a few more trout, but fishing slowed with this fly. All in all one of my best days of fishing.

---