Hopewell

Hopewell Lake.  I spent my birthday there, and I've realized that this is the place where I fell for fly fishing.  The fish fight especially hard and the rainbows are chunky.  I caught my first brook trout here and fell in love with their vivid spots and the striking white stripes on their fins.  I went with my stepfather when I was still a bit of a beginner a few years back, and for the first time during that trip I felt like I matched him in skill.  It was (I think) the first place I float tubed.  I caught my biggest brookie here, and I lost my largest rainbow here.  I've also been humbled here--I occasionally get skunked and always freeze my ass off when I'm camping (or float tubing...or fishing from the shore...).  I haven't made a video of Hopewell yet, and I think the decision is unconscious and some expression of reverence.  

Anyway, to the report.  The fishing (when it stopped threatening to storm) was good.  While it was cloudy the fish hit on pheasant tail nymphs fished about 3 feet below the surface.  A couple lure fisherman were tearing it up next to me, and I think trailing a wooly bugger from a float tube would be epic fishing right now, if you catch the water when it's a bit more still.

Then the sun came out.  The fish started rising.  I lost a big fish that struck at my stimulator (they were not being picky with the dries!).  Actually, he tore off my entire rig, and leapt into the air multiple times trying to throw the flies.  Anyway, then the catching really started happening and the fish were cruising a bit closer to shore.  Every cast within two feet of a rise was rewarded with a strike on the dry or the dropper.  I'm excited about the wet winter because the water is fishing a bit more like it did a few years ago.  

So, Hopewell is a win.  Please keep a couple for your campfire and throw the rest back.  The fish are special here.