laurelrun
Active member
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2014
- Messages
- 313
I fished the Yellow Breeches FFO section last evening from about 6:45pm until dark - 9:10pm. Water temp was just below 60 degrees in the main stream. Being a newbie, I am still most comfortable trying to work out the kinks on water that I know holds fish and that I also know is cool on a warm summer night. There were at least a half dozen other anglers there, but plenty of space for everyone to have their room to work.
I crossed the Breeches near the end of the run to get my waders wet and cool, and noticed a nice seam made by a downed tree near where I wanted to walk out to the path. I had tied on an ant dropped from an elk hair caddis, and dropped my first cast almost exactly where I thought it should be. Rewarded with a quick dart and refusal from a smallish brown. Next cast, he slammed the ant and darted into the fast current. Somehow the caddis hooked onto some mono caught in the log, so I had to walk over to release about a 7 inch brown and untangle my rig. Not bad for a cast "on the way" to where I wanted to fish.
I walked downstream a quarter mile or so and worked a few areas of downed logs and slower seams with my intention to be back at the run for dark. Found one riser in a pool but couldn't see any bugs coming off with any frequency. While I was plotting my approach with my rig drifting in the current, I felt a tug, only to LDR a quick jumper of some kind. Note to self: pay attention. After spoiling a few nice pockets by snagging myself and unhooking some branch fish, I worked my way up to the riser I had seen. Was getting discouraged as I worked the pool, knowing there was definitely a fish there. On probably my 12th cast or so, he absolutely slammed the ant and was off into the current. A nice fish, which I netted after a few aerobatics. 12" brown, nice and fat.
Working my way back up to the run with no takers, I positioned myself in one of the pools a few drops down from the bridge just as dusk was bringing on the risers. I added an indicator to help me see, since my caddis was tiny and hard to notice in the fading light. Bang! A noisy top water take, but I am positive he ate my indicator and spit it after a few tugs. Risers all over, now although I could not see what they were taking. Shortly after I nailed a nice 8" brown on the caddis! My first trout on a dry this year. Several misses and a splashy LDR later it was getting too dark to see. One more nice drift, and I saw my indicator bob under. I thought maybe I was hung up on a rock, and then realized, bigger fish! He took a run downstream taking the line from my fingers until I had him on the reel. One more brief run almost to my feet and I reeled in a beauty of a 14" rainbow. Pretty red gill plates and a nice hooked jaw. Best fish I've taken on a fly rod this year. Went out on a high note and called it quits after that.
As a newbie, it feels good to finally be making some strides. I produced fish in a variety of holds, only one of which I saw actively feeding. I didn't lose a single fly, which had more to do with my improved casting and patience when I did send a bad one into a tree. And I did it in an area, which although holds a lot of fish, is heavily pressured too. Finally took a fish on top! This fly fishing thing is fun!
I crossed the Breeches near the end of the run to get my waders wet and cool, and noticed a nice seam made by a downed tree near where I wanted to walk out to the path. I had tied on an ant dropped from an elk hair caddis, and dropped my first cast almost exactly where I thought it should be. Rewarded with a quick dart and refusal from a smallish brown. Next cast, he slammed the ant and darted into the fast current. Somehow the caddis hooked onto some mono caught in the log, so I had to walk over to release about a 7 inch brown and untangle my rig. Not bad for a cast "on the way" to where I wanted to fish.
I walked downstream a quarter mile or so and worked a few areas of downed logs and slower seams with my intention to be back at the run for dark. Found one riser in a pool but couldn't see any bugs coming off with any frequency. While I was plotting my approach with my rig drifting in the current, I felt a tug, only to LDR a quick jumper of some kind. Note to self: pay attention. After spoiling a few nice pockets by snagging myself and unhooking some branch fish, I worked my way up to the riser I had seen. Was getting discouraged as I worked the pool, knowing there was definitely a fish there. On probably my 12th cast or so, he absolutely slammed the ant and was off into the current. A nice fish, which I netted after a few aerobatics. 12" brown, nice and fat.
Working my way back up to the run with no takers, I positioned myself in one of the pools a few drops down from the bridge just as dusk was bringing on the risers. I added an indicator to help me see, since my caddis was tiny and hard to notice in the fading light. Bang! A noisy top water take, but I am positive he ate my indicator and spit it after a few tugs. Risers all over, now although I could not see what they were taking. Shortly after I nailed a nice 8" brown on the caddis! My first trout on a dry this year. Several misses and a splashy LDR later it was getting too dark to see. One more nice drift, and I saw my indicator bob under. I thought maybe I was hung up on a rock, and then realized, bigger fish! He took a run downstream taking the line from my fingers until I had him on the reel. One more brief run almost to my feet and I reeled in a beauty of a 14" rainbow. Pretty red gill plates and a nice hooked jaw. Best fish I've taken on a fly rod this year. Went out on a high note and called it quits after that.
As a newbie, it feels good to finally be making some strides. I produced fish in a variety of holds, only one of which I saw actively feeding. I didn't lose a single fly, which had more to do with my improved casting and patience when I did send a bad one into a tree. And I did it in an area, which although holds a lot of fish, is heavily pressured too. Finally took a fish on top! This fly fishing thing is fun!
