LORI AND I ON DRY RUN CREEK BY JOHN BERRY

As many of you know, my wife, Lori, is also a fly fishing guide. Last week she had a job guiding two boys, on Dry Run Creek. I was not working that day and I figured that I would go along. I really like to fish with her and this was a great opportunity for us to share time on stream. Dry Run Creek is a real workout for guides and two clients makes for a busy day. It seems like one client is tangled at the same time that the other has a trophy trout, on the line. You can achieve the most success, on the creek, if you are able to guide one on one. That way the client gets your undivided attention and can be more effective.

We began the day at 8:30 AM. I generally like to begin sooner, so that we can begin fishing, in one of the more productive spots. Lori and I believe that our client is always right and we begin when they want. A fellow guide had beaten us there and had staked out a hot spot. We walked past him to another choice spot and noted that it was available and loaded with trout. Lori was guiding James and I had Larson. Grand Pa, Grand Ma, Mom and Dad rounded out the group.

Lori and I were fishing about fifty feet apart and we could clearly see each other. Larson was the first to hook one up. It turned out to be a fat twenty four inch rainbow. This was his first trout ever and his first time fishing with a fly rod. I was impressed as was he. We continued fishing and he picked up a twenty two incher and then a twenty three, both rainbows. We continued fishing and he picked up about thirty trout that included a sixteen inch brown and two eleven inch brook trout. All we needed was a cutthroat to get the grand slam. It was not to be.

Toward the end of the day, he hooked one last trout. This one was the largest yet. It was a long struggle but it finally surrendered, to the het. It turned out to be a fat twenty six inch rainbow. I was careless, when removing the hook, and forgot that trout that big have sharp teeth. I noticed blood, on my glove, and noted that I had an inch long gash, on my left thumb. Luckily it quit bleeding rather quickly.

Meanwhile Lori and James were doing well. They had caught several trout the largest was a nice twenty three inch brown. I looked down stream and noticed that they were into another trout. This one seemed different. Grand Pa, Grand Ma, Mom and Dad were on the bank nearby mesmerized by the struggle. Then I saw the trout break the surface. It was huge. I told Larson and he wanted, to go check it out. We cranked up the fly line and worked our way downstream. We arrived just in time to see Lori scoop up a twenty eight inch, twelve pound, brown trout after a ten minute struggle. She was brightly colored with an impressive girth. It was the biggest brown that Lori had ever been able to put a client on. We took several minutes to photograph and then carefully release the trout.

It was noon and the boys were worn out. It was a good time to pull the plug and end the day, on a high note. Both had caught some trophy trout and everyone was pleased. Lori and I had enjoyed ourselves. We celebrated a great day by going to Whispering Woods for Lunch.