RIVER TROUT IN TRANSITION

“GO AHEAD and land that fish. I’m gonna make a cast,” said Chris Wright as he dropped the anchor of his drift boat. I’d just hooked a hatchery trout on a backtrolled 2.0 Mag Lip while Chris worked the oars.

My fish struck along the soft outside edge of a current seam, and I knew exactly what Wright was doing when he cast a gold Thomas Buoyant into the fastest section of the river.

“You’re not going to find any hatchery trout there,” I said. Wright shot me a wink, semi-hiding behind his worn brimmed