Another fun day running around the West, and my first goofy attempt at Euro nymphing

I fished from 7:30 am to 2:00 pm in the area I had hoped to fish the night before, if I hadn't see too many vehicles. I was the first one there, but a couple other guys arrived soon. I walked pretty far from the parking area, and I started fishing. upstream. I worked upstream with dries and nymphs, seeing no early action, but spooking a few good fish. Finally I saw one before it saw me, and I successfully targeted it with a perdigon-like nymph ("Spanish Bullet") under an indicator. That was the beginning of a great morning chasing big cutthroat.

My uncanny success with a nymph made for tight-line or Euro nymphing, despite using it on my usual 5-weight with a typical indicator, motivated me to finally give my new Euro nymphing rod and reel a try at my evening stop, the Big Lost River near Mackay, Idaho. I left my normal rod in the car and walked a good distance down to the river, committing to flailing around with the new technique and seeing what happens. Some good fish were rising, and nothing was touching my nymphs. I tied on a dry, flailed it around on the end of a very long leader of lightweight monofilament, and somehow managed to fool a 15" rainbow. Interesting way to inaugurate the new rod!