BACKCOUNTRY GEAR REVIEW by Brian La Rue
Recon Mission On Slough Creek One of my goals on the Slough trip was to put Orvis’ Recon Outfit to the test. My go-to H2 had company on this trip as I took along a 9-foot, 5-weight Recon outfit complete with a Hydros III Reel and Hydros Trout 5-weight fly line. Day 1 in the morning on Slough was beautiful, and cutthroat came quick to the hopper and beetle patterns delivered effortlessly with the 9-footer. Targeting the rising trout upriver from our position, the Recon loaded smoothly and allowed for easy, softlanding placements of big bugs to target these unsuspecting trout. After three hours of perfect conditions, the warm wind began to blow, eliminating our easy casts and advantage of polarized glasses. We thought, okay a little wind chop might give these fish a little more confidence to blindly rise to hoppers more often and they did. Throwing 24
High Country Angler • Fall 2022
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