Went for a one day fish on Monday. Just cannot keep myself away from this water and the hunt for these fantastic fish. The drive North began on Sunday at 6pm through the heart of the ditch dogs(deer) and their mating season antics. It is always a challenge, and frankly somewhat frightening, to focus for three hours on the road side ditches to try and avoid this carnival of green eyed girls and lustful boys. Sightings are split seconds of high anxiety where blood explosions through the heart are seemingly enough to send this old man to the next world, but thus far there have only been near misses. This night drive is self inflicted but is part of a strategy to avoid the grueling, solo, 6 hour round trip travel in one day. When time is limited in both season length and schedule opening, I take the chance. It is part of the hunt.

Arriving at 9pm wide eyed and ramped up from my drive, I found my friend Jeff a bit haggard from a string of long days on the river and nights in the famous Kro-bar pub. Jeff had rented the honey moon suite at the Brule River Hotel and kindly offered me the floor in his one bed accommodation. I was appreciative for his kindness. After a short chat and a bit of Sunday night football I was out like a light.

First light came and went. Although we heard the car doors of other anglers at 6am(First Light First Bite, Brule theory #6)our slumber was more important. Must have beauty sleep! We got on the river at 9am. I struck my first fish at around 10:30 after we had both made rotations through the hole  and run above twice and had not received a bite. It just goes to show that the hook-ups can happen at any time. 1,000 casts can be made in any primary holding location and a hook-up can be made on cast 1,001. The fish are there. It is up to the angler to NOT fall into the trap that the gigantic rainbows, browns and salmon lay for the hunter.

This brings me to a set of theories never discussed on any pages of literature or on the blogosphere. This category of theories is top secret and the information is considered a matter of national security. I am putting myself at great  risk to even mention the existence of these theories but my goal is to make my small herd of readers into an elite group of anglers. Previously I have only discussed Brule River Angler Theory on these pages. It is a compilation of random guesses organized facts stemming from years of research by the  highest level of Brule River steelhead anglers. I am here to tell you(as long as you keep it under your hat) that there is an equally complex list compiled by the trout and salmon.

Brule River Trout and Salmon Theory

At this time I can only release the mission statement and a few of their theories. Fish theories are labeled with letters instead of numbers.

Mission Statement- Anglers are generally soft, un-disipline, unimaginative, creatures of habit. They are mostly uncertain of fluid mechanics. They have poor eye sight and overestimate their intelligence. We are smarter than they think. However, failure to give them a small amount of credibility will result in—- being unknowingly hooked, ground pounded, bonked on the head, slit open from the proverbial rooter to the tooter, getting your guts ripped out and finally being cooked over fire to a crispy finish and then eaten. Don’t let this happen to you! Quell your hunger until after dark and be smart with your sympathy eats. We have the advantage. And last but not least, when hooked by an angler, run towards them, then run away from them.Shake your head repeatedly like a dog with a sock in his mouth. Jump like a kangaroo or bury into the deepest, ugliest snag monster in the area, the snag monsters have vowed to protect us. Take on an overall attitude like you have been double dosed on crystal meth and that the old fart on the other end of the line has called your sister a catfish.
Fish Theory
A-Anglers always cross in the same spot. Look for the disturbed stream bed, post a look-out within sight of these spots and you will always know when the assault will begin. DO NOT EAT!
AB-Anglers mostly stand in the same spot. Take the rock in the bridge hole for example. Standing 6 feet over the top of us, they think we can’t see them. Silly bipeds. EAT SOMETIMES but run into the fast water below. Ask the rock people for help to make them fall down, then break them off. Spit out hook.
AC-Anglers stand in the water. Look for two clumsy, flipper like projections kicking sand into the hole. Laugh like a clown at this effort. DO NOT EAT!
AD-Anglers think Fluorocarbon is invisible. They have been outsmarted by their own marketing people,
AE-After being hooked and fighting brilliantly, it is possible to get released. This phenomenon can sometimes occur if you follow these rules. After being slid into the net bag act benevolently. Although you have no intention of showing respect or paying homage to the foolish angler, act like you have some deeply seeded connection to him or her. Play off of this concept like there is no tomorrow. Pulse your mouth open and closed as if you are trying to talk to them. Behave for a photo opportunity and smile. Humans exhibit this odd behavior sometimes and it is the only way possible for you to learn from your mistakes and not get eaten.
There are more theories that I will share with you in the future , but you get the picture.
I left the Brule at 5pm on Monday tired and happy. I hooked three, landed two. A good day by my standards. The last fish I hooked spit my rig high into a willow tree. I saw his white belly when I turned him over. I felt his head shake. Shortly before Jeff had landed a two foot brown trout in the hole above me. It was a fight around a brush pile that I never thought would end in a successful landing. It did. We had finished with a bang. The ditch dogs on my drive home were all that was left for excitement. I made it.