Changing Playbook

Regular contributor Josh Mills talks about a change in the playbook. "My father and a couple of friends typically go to a lake every year around Memorial Day. We go for three or four days of camping and fishing. We go to a tremendous Lake fishery where they have a clock work mayfly hatch that comes off every day and it is special because you get to throw dry flies on a lake which, most of the time, is a pretty unique situation. We have been doing this for about 10 years. This is a story about thinking you know what is going on but you get something that is totally out of the playbook but oh my gosh, it worked really well. The second day we were there, picking up a fish here and there using chronamids. We pass this south African guy and he tells me he's catching fish with ants. I go what? No way. Are you using little ants? He says no big Chernobyl, leggy style black ants. I was blown away. No way. Then I thought I'm going to eat my words if I catch one. I go into my fly box and I find the biggest size 2 massive, black, rubber leg ant and put it on thinking this is going to go over like a lead balloon. First cast, a big rainbow comes up and slips it down like it's a steak on the gravy train. We were shocked. 10 years fishing this leg and I had never seen that happen before. Just goes to show you you always have to be ready for a change in the playbook.