April 18, 2014 Notes

 

Had maybe 4-5 hours to fish on a Friday, due to various scheduling items.  Some good notes came away:

 

(1) Driving far to fish isn't too great.  What a miser.  It bothers me.  I convince myself now and then to drive 45-55 minutes but then I note that I am driving over good water.  More than anything it makes me anxious: worried about burning time and gas, and worried about what to do when I get there if I run into folks.  This being a Friday morning, figured I might be okay.  But it was a Friday morning in April, with sun and clear water.  Should have understood that my odds were not good and confirmed as much when I pulled up: two cars already parked.  One party gone, presumably upstream; the other party gearing up for a big day - car drop in play.  So I offered them sunflower seeds and went on, relegated to fish downstream and somewhat poorer water.  Wished them well on their journey; I think it was a good one.  For me it meant anxiety, which was amplified when I realized that streamer fishing wouldn't be good.  Too bright, too clear, water just not having it.  Plus I was fretting, thinking someone had been through already. 

 

(2) Lesson and reiteration: if something is giving you trouble, start nymphing.  Look for water in which the fish figure they have you; have their safety secured.  Dig into it.  The fish are there.  I put away the streamer and skipped the still clear pools, fished the seams.  I was offered some degree of relief as fish started to come.

 

(3) Dry fly action can save the day.  I found a nice configuration of three pieces such as that pictured below.  BWO were rising steady; dark dun colored flies that look very delicate and edible.  I remembered one dry fly - the exact one - that I've fished during this hatch on this stream.  Tied it on and commenced to catch maybe 8-9 smallish fish.  Right away.  Kept a few.  Decent casts resulted in takes.  Lost a few too.  And one tooth-jacked the hackle on my fly and broke it.  Fair it seems.

Rising fish in this water.

An old fly; one that I appreciate.

Nymphing.  The irrestible. 

Pretty big forage for a BNT of maybe 11 inches.

Best take of the day was here.  Had nymphed these seams.  All the while a splashy riser on the far side.  Flipped the nymph rig over and right as dark trailer hit water, the riser scooted over and ate it with a nice flash.  That fish is dead now.

Slightly larger and lighter dry fly that the fish seemed to hate.  This goes back to Dave Hughes saying if you are not getting takes, go smaller and darker in iterative fashion.