Dirty Runoff

[a23fish]

Recent rains & a morning snow squall that quickly melted created a spike in my local stream flows resulting in high, fast, and dirty water. I visited two streams today, one pretty small and teh second mid-sized. I focused on Woolly Bugger type streamers cast at an angle upstream and retrieved across & down, then back up in the slow water strip close to the bank. I had one hookup in the close in slow water along the bank on the first smaller stream, and another hit from a midstream mildly slower water seam on the second larger stream. I had 'em solidly hooked - for about 1.5 seconds. Enough to see they were rainbows of decent but not bragging size. And that was it for about 4 hours of fishing. Other than losing 3 WBs on underwater snags.

So, how would you approach these conditions?

 

[hooker-of-men]

You already done did it.

 

[barrybarry]

I had some success with the "infamous pink worm" in those types of conditions. Plenty of worms on my driveway after that warm spell. Bright, obvious, and part of the warm mid-winter hatch.

 

[jifigz]

I had some success with the "infamous pink worm" in those types of conditions. Plenty of worms on my driveway after that warm spell. Bright, obvious, and part of the warm mid-winter hatch.

I love a bright pink San Juan worm. It is, without a doubt, one of my confidence flies. I have never made the jump to the squirmy, and I still fish the original micro chenille/vernille version.

 

[a23fish]

Pink worms! Why didn't I think of that? Had some too.

 

[HopBack]

In these conditions you can try throwing a streamer downstream and stripping it back. You will be able to keep the fly in the strike zone longer and you do t have to worry about spooking trout if the water clarity is poor. It’s really the best time to fish streamers however i suspect that cold water temps are the limiting factor here.

 

[krayfish2]

Wait until it comes down and clears in late April. Should have hatches by then.

Well, you did ask how I would do it 😉

 

[Swattie87]

Let’s not start getting picky about how clean (or dirty) our Spring runoff is. Let’s just be thankful to have it. I had already 3/4 typed out the first “it’s time to let them be guys” post of 2024.

 

[krayfish2]

I've been meaning to ask you if you have seen any olives or grannoms yet 😉

 

[jifigz]

I've been meaning to ask you if you have seen any olives or grannoms yet 😉

I'm looking forward to the BWO hatch I catch every year on one of my favorite small limestoners. It usually occurs mid-March every year, and it's where I cut my teeth fishing to hatches. I can't wait. This year, I'm very much looking forward to spring.