Bobber down! Almost…

[HopBack]

I had not been fishing yet in 2025 until yesterday. What changed? Not the 32 degree air temps. My dog got sprayed by a skunk on Thursday morning and I have been cleaning her and the house to no avail since. Let me just tell you that’s what cabin fever really feels like!

So I headed out in search of some ice free flowing water and solidarity. Mostly, for everyone else’s sake. One whiff of me would send anyone running.

When I got to the river I decided that it may be better to try fishing the bobber instead of my usual tight line nymphing approach. I’ve never been a huge fan of bobber fishing, not because of the idea of using a bobber but rather I feel I have less control over the presentation of my flies. I don’t even think I used the bobber that much when I first started fly fishing. At any rate, I chose indicator fishing on this day because I just really wanted a relaxing day of fishing. Watching a bobber float down stream and waiting for it to go under fit the bill.

I started off using a #10 stone fly nymph and a #14 flashback pheasant tail. At first the fishing was slow until added some shot to the mixture. I felt my flies were decently weighted and getting down but the extra shot slowed the drift and action began to pick up.

To my surprise I quickly put a dozen wild browns and bows to hand all on the pheasant tail nymph. After a tangle I swapped out the stonefly for a #12 guides choice hares ear soft hackle. I have never tied/used this fly before in my life but the next 8 trout caught ignored the PT nymph and went for the guides choice. It’s certainly a buggier fly than the PT but I was shocked that the trout selected that fly over the PT that had been working so well. I did change depths on the indicator frequently to match the different water levels I was fishing and almost all of the takes were a very subtle movement on the bobber. Not your typical bobber down situation to say the least but I had blast on a cold February day. Here are a few stream side pics to help anyone who also may be experiencing cabin fever.

 

[jifigz]

I had not been fishing yet in 2025 until yesterday. What changed? Not the 32 degree air temps. My dog got sprayed by a skunk on Thursday morning and I have been cleaning her and the house to no avail since. Let me just tell you that’s what cabin fever really feels like!

So I headed out in search of some ice free flowing water and solidarity. Mostly, for everyone else’s sake. One whiff of me would send anyone running.

When I got to the river I decided that it may be better to try fishing the bobber instead of my usual tight line nymphing approach. I’ve never been a huge fan of bobber fishing, not because of the idea of using a bobber but rather I feel I have less control over the presentation of my flies. I don’t even think I used the bobber that much when I first started fly fishing. At any rate, I chose indicator fishing on this day because I just really wanted a relaxing day of fishing. Watching a bobber float down stream and waiting for it to go under fit the bill.

I started off using a #10 stone fly nymph and a #14 flashback pheasant tail. At first the fishing was slow until added some shot to the mixture. I felt my flies were decently weighted and getting down but the extra shot slowed the drift and action began to pick up.

To my surprise I quickly put a dozen wild browns and bows to hand all on the pheasant tail nymph. After a tangle I swapped out the stonefly for a #12 guides choice hares ear soft hackle. I have never tied/used this fly before in my life but the next 8 trout caught ignored the PT nymph and went for the guides choice. It’s certainly a buggier fly than the PT but I was shocked that the trout selected that fly over the PT that had been working so well. I did change depths on the indicator frequently to match the different water levels I was fishing and almost all of the takes were a very subtle movement on the bobber. Not your typical bobber down situation to say the least but I had blast on a cold February day. Here are a few stream side pics to help anyone who also may be experiencing cabin fever.

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Unless I am on the most gentle stream ever with low flows and I need the most delicate landing to avoid spooking trout, I am going to use split shot while bobber fishing every single time. Weighted flies or not, it needs the shot.

In super stealthy situations and low clear water, however, a tiny yarn indy and a beaded nymph will be used to avoid startling those wary trouts!!!

 

[StreamBottom]

Hoping you & your pup air out sooner rather than later.
I'm looking forward to some bobber fishing when the little black stones start up, hopefully soon.

 

[JeffP]

Nice! Limestoner? It looks relatively ice free.

 

[moodyblues]

For some reason this post made me think of Loudon Wainwright III.

 

[HopBack]

Hoping you & your pup air out sooner rather than later.
I'm looking forward to some bobber fishing when the little black stones start up, hopefully soon.

Thanks, still working on it!

 

[Kevin82]

Nice to get out and trick some trout in February.

I might have some help with the stinky pup.
If you havent tried it, try a bath with a mix of baking soda, peroxide and dawn dish soap.

 

[Swattie87]

Still haven’t utilized my 2025 license yet. Super cold January, combined with bad timing and having work or other obligations on the relatively few warm-ish days. And I spent the last week of January and part of the first week of February down and out with the flu.

Good to see guys getting out though. C’mon Spring.

Nice fish Hop. That Bow has me wondering where you were. (Don’t tell me.)

 

[HopBack]

Nice to get out and trick some trout in February.

I might have some help with the stinky pup.
If you havent tried it, try a bath with a mix of baking soda, peroxide and dawn dish soap.

Thanks, that is what I used. It’s actually the thing that worked the most over the so called skunk remover shampoos. You can no longer smell her from 50 ft away so that’s good at least.

 

[jifigz]

I used to hear the ol' bathe in tomato juice trick for skunk. Any merit to that, or is that a wives' tale?

 

[nymphingmaniac]

I used to hear the ol' bathe in tomato juice trick for skunk. Any merit to that, or is that a wives' tale?

minimaly effective. The slight acidic nature oxidizes the odor and some claim the organic molecules that gives it its color binds the odorant.
You want hydrogen peroxide mixed with a grease cutting detergent. Peroxide oxidizes the thiol groups that produces the spell- or breaks the odor.
It works great (used it twice on a dog). You might have to wash twice. let dry and once more.
Hydrogen peroxide is the best deodorizer I use it all the time. Great on urine too

oops, noticed somone else wrote about peroxide above.

Those expensive special shampoos don't work well

 

[jifigz]

minimaly effective. The slight acidic nature oxidizes the odor and some claim the organic molecules that it it its color binds the odorant.
You want hydrogen peroxide mixed with a grease cutting detergent. Peroxide oxidizes the thiol groups that produces the spell- or breaks the odor.
It works great (used it twice on a dog). You might have to wash twice. let dry and once more.
Hydrogen peroxide is the best deodorizer using it all the time. Great on urine too

Thanks for the chemistry lesson.

 

[StreamBottom]

I used to hear the ol' bathe in tomato juice trick for skunk. Any merit to that, or is that a wives' tale?

I cleaned out the local Food Lion of tomato juice, to little effect.

Ended up spending a weekend fishing trip’s worth of $$$ at my vets office for skunk shampoo to put a dent in the skunkinest.

 

[wildtrout2]

You want hydrogen peroxide mixed with a grease cutting detergent.

Dawn dish detergent might be good for that, it's what they use to get oil off of sea birds after a spill.

 

[pheasant tail 2]

I liked Loudon Wainwright III reference. Thanks

 

[rrt]

I second Post #7. When my wife's little dog got sprayed a couple years ago, she used the Dawn/peroxide/baking soda mix. It took only one bath in that to get rid of the stink.

As for your clothes: If you can afford to, pitch them -- unless you have to go somewhere where you don't like the people you'll be around. (Just kidding about that last part.)

 

[Ryan Hall]

My dog got sprayed three weeks in a row a few years back. I know your struggle, she still stinks.