Recounting the Weekend Part II: Flies and Other Notes

Going back to C&R opener notes.

Root River Special, or a variant on it that I got via a swap some years ago. I fished a lot of rigs that were led by a larger nymph or small streamer (SMB, bugger, etc.) and trailed by a standard PT or HE, etc. This was devastatingly good. All weekend, everywhere. It allows for twitching, stripping, dead drifting. Indicator, no indicator. Very versatile. Bigger trout ate the bigger fly, generally speaking.

FIrst hole I walked up to on Friday morning I applied a tandem rig using Root River Special in lead, followed by orange scud. First three fish at RRS. So I started keeping score out of interest. In ~20 minutes counted exactly fourteen BNT to hand. Ended up being 8-6 in favor of orange scud, in dramatic comeback fashion. Most of these fish were smaller. But very healthy and gutty. A short-mouthed strain of BNT (I'm convinced that this stream has short-mouth genetics that are prevalent).


And here pulled out a fly that is maybe 6-8 years old. Sitting in my box. Quick Descent copper dubbing. Fish ate this in ready fashion.


Here is some big, sweet water that I stumbled onto. Turns out it was too big for me to fish at the moment I found it. Couldn't wade it well, and couldn't get down. Caught a couple fish but didn't do it right. I estimated a riffle of maybe 70 yards in length. Bug factory. Followed by nice, deep broken water. Something that someone should work over for a while. I've only ever fished one western river for trout, but this stretch drew my mind to that western water for sure. Most like it of anything I've looked at in SE MN so far.


Fished with this guy for a while. Nice outing. Caught a lot of fish. He stood at one location and nymphed up a half dozen in maybe ten minutes. And he brough goose stew (honker taken in Rochester) for post-fishing meal. Even heated it up on site. Very generous.


Money triangle: one of those dirty doggers posted previously was sitting right in that triangle. Hydro-cushion, perfect lay for a trout. Jolting strike. I'll look in again.