Katie's First Trout: a Greenback Cutthroat

On recent backcountry backpacking trip in Rocky Mountain National Park, Katie and I took along a March Brown Baden Powell 7-piece 5 weight.   Upon reaching our campsite we discovered a homemade setup tree branch rod with a bobber and spinner.  After setting camp at the Happily Lost site we headed down to the North Fork of the Big Thompson.  We tried a few spots of fast moving water; there were a lot of fish jumping up the brush induced waterfalls but none interested by our offerings.  Moving upstream to a small section of smooth water, I spotted a boulder and quickly caught two greenback cutthroats by drifting a small PMD downstream.  I asked Katie if she wanted to try with my rod; she declined acquiesce my request and stuck with her homemade pull.  Until I caught a third fish on the next drift.  Unfamiliar with reading the water or a concept such as a downstream drift, it took Katie a few drifts before she sent the fly directly over the pool teaming with fish.  As soon as she did, a nice 7 inch greenback greedily attacked on the surface.  Sudden uncertainty struck Katie as she still had a few feet of line in her hand; I winced after I told her to use the reel and she dropped all the loose line.   Thankfully the fish was feeling suicidal and remained on the hook. After a short battle, Katie successfully landed her first trout and her first catch on a fly rod.  We let the fish go and retired for the night.

Dan's Greenback Cutthroat

The next morning we briefly went back to the same hole before hiking out.   Katie was still enthralled with the prospect of catching a fish with the homemade rod and left me with the fly rod again.   I saw no insects coming off of the water but there were a number of mosquitoes buzzing around; I tied a mosquito on and quickly landed two brook trout.  The brookies fought well but I could not convince any of the stunningly colorful cutthroats to take before we had to leave.  The trek ouf of the park passed too quickly as I daydreamed about the places Katie and I could fish should I succeed with my hopes of turning her into a fly fisherwoman.