Fished Alice from 7 to 9:30 last night. As the sun set, I noticed fish surfacing off the west end of the lake. I paddled over and started casting a 16 parachute Adams, giving it just enough action to send out some slight riffles. Within 10 minutes I missed my first strike, but I immediately recasted to the same spot and was ready for it this time. When the fish broke the surface, I lifted my rod and hooked into my first fish on a fly rod. Within a couple minutes I landed and released the 12" rainbow.

I've caught plenty of trout on spinning rods, but the excitement of a surface strike on a dry fly is an experience all to its own. Throughout the evening I missed another 3-4 strikes due to my inattentiveness, I hope to return and land those fish I missed!

On a side note, does anyone know if the planted trout in the lake have clipped adipose fins? The fish I landed still had his, and I thought they clipped the hatchery fish fins.

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