I don't remember exactly how it came to my mind, but sometime this summer I decided I wanted to give fishing a try. I like backpacking and I tought it would be a fun thing to do to when the opportunity presents itself. I bought an ultra light spinning rod and a bunch of the smallest lures I could find. My fisrt few attempts were at best frustrating. Tangles, snags, my girlfriend making fun of me... But, and I don't know why, I kept trying.

Then I caught my first trout. It was a very windy day at a small lake a few miles out of Tuolumne Meadows. Actually I caught about a dozen brookies in the 10-13in class that afternoon. Too much fun for one afternoon. That's about when my problem started. I found myself reading about trout and trying to find places to go fishing, ideally closer to where I live near Berkeley so I can go more often.

I discovered Putah Creek sometime in August. The first couple times I went I fished the bridge area, the flows were pretty high, there was fishermen (and trash) everywhere and I caught only poison oak. No need to say I wasn't very excited. But later I've also had a couple of good days there, catching mostly planters (probably just after a truck dumped its load).

One time I saw a fly fisherman hooking (and landing) a 25+in monster while he was talking to his buddy, sitting on the bank upstream of the bridge. That looked cool. I tought about trying fly fishing. But Ralph Cutter's Sierra Trout Guide actually convinced me. In my mind it became something that seemed not so complicated, even very simple if you keep it that way. So I bought a cheap flyfishing starter kit including a 5/6 wt (fiberglass) 3pc rod, reel, floating line, backing and even a few flies, all for $40. I just wanted to try it and see if I liked it... I read all I could find on internet about casting a fly rod and went to a local pond to try it out. I probably looked like an idiot for a few hours, but after a lot of tangles and trees hooked (and also my knee pretty deep with a barbed #14, enough to convince anybody that barbless hurt less the fish when you remove the hook), I decided I was ready.

The week before, I had explored other areas of the creek and found a few nice spots that seemed way less crowded and where the fish seemed easier to catch. So I get down there early morning and tie a big dry (looked like a #12 griffith gnat) that came with the kit (I was thinking I was gonna lose more flies to trees than anything else, better keep my few $2 "Putah flies" from the flyshop for later) and throw it in the pool. The water was relatively clear and I think at my 3rd or 4th cast, I saw (like in slow motion) a fish appear from the darkness of the deeper water, go for my fly and slam it (and probably hooked himself good). I smoothly raised my rod and saw the bend in the tip. Wow! Fish on! For real! And that fish was fighting! I wasn't sure what to do (I had read almost only about how to cast, nothing on how to land a fish!) but I managed to bring the fish to hand somehow.  A nice fat 12-13in wild with a nice tail and beautiful colors! I was so excited! I was repeating to myself: yes, I did it, I caught a fish on a fly! The rest of the day was awesome even tough I didn't catch anything else. I drove back home with a huge smile on. Beginner's luck, I thought. But I did it! I immediately realized that this was not going to help with my problem.

That was late september. I fished Putah at least a dozen days in the last 2 months, mainly focusing on the same areas to try to learn how changing flows, time of the year, weather, insects, etc. evolve and affect fish and fishing. Over time I spent several hundreds on a decent 4wt rod, reel, line, waders, boots, vest, flies, net, leaders, tippets, etc... (and I'm cheap). I learn every time I go out. I even had a few 15-20 fish days, sometimes mostly stockers, sometimes mostly wild fish (it seems to come in waves).

I even had the luck to catch a pig the Friday after Thanksgiving. I'm not asking anyone to believe me here since I don't have a picture (the first time I regret not brigning a camera), but there were 2 witnesses, a guy and his girlfriend(?) I had met a week before, beginners too. They were around and thankfully he offered help with his net (that day I decided not to bring my net since the largest fish I had caught was about 14in, and I was getting better at unhooking fish in the water without touching it). I still can't believe my luck. It took me a few seconds to realize that the black beadhead #10 wolly bugger I was swinging in the current and striping in the seam was not stuck under an invisible rock. Because the rock moved. And I could barely steer that thing, I knew it was a big one, but when he surfaced (or half of his back stuck out of the shallow water like a submarine) and I saw how big and fat he was. I was shocked, I tought at least 20in, I was sweating, my heart pumping, my hands shaking, he went down for a couple short but powerful runs but he had nowhere to go, I was so afraid he would break off with a head shake anytime he wanted when he was gonna be tired of playing with me (I lost a bunch of much smaller fish). After what seemed an eternity and many attempts at pulling that log into the net of my new-best-friend-of-the-moment, we got him. I was shaking, so excited, awesome fish, heavy too, I couldn't see the length well in the net but my bugger seemed very small in the corner of that mouth. I guessed at least 20in and the guy said no, at least 25, I couldn't believe it. With some help, I tried and aligned him with my rod so I can have a measurement when I get back home, wow, it seemed even bigger like that: from the butt almost to the 1st ferrule of my 4pc 9' rod. He went away like if nothing happened. I sat 10 minutes to catch my breath (and rest my arm), reviewing what just happened. That guy was right, my unofficial measurement is about 26in! My heart start racing just thinking about it!

But since I had two freakin cold days last friday and saturday with only 3 and 2 average fish landed and several more strikes missed or lost, actually I never lost that many fish, mostly on dries and streamers. It reminded me that I have a lot to learn. And that there's more to flyfishing than just catching big fish (but don't get me wrong, I'd take another one anytime!). And how I fell in love with that place. I had time to think how crazy I became over the past few months, getting up earlier than I ever did to drive an hour and stand in the current with my feet numb by the cold water and my hands so cold it's hard to tie a knot. I spend most of my free time flyfishing Putah or thinking about it, and reading about trout, insects and fly fishing. I dream about spring in the Sierra. I started taking days off from work to go flyfishing. I have to try to remember to spend "quality time" with my girlfriend. I think I'm addicted to fly fishing... I need help, guys.

Bugger

P.S. I decided to join after some of you I met on the creek mentioned this forum (Concord Bob, was nice talking with you; WytEurp? Thanks for the camo indicator...). I'm sure I will learn a lot from you guys, I already did, seems like there is a lot of good info and good people here. Hope to meet you guys on the creek.