littlelehigh
Member
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2008
- Messages
- 888
Figured I would post this here to maybe help someone out when frustration sets in on stream.
Decided to head out this afternoon in an attempt to shake the skunk of last weeks trip of rising fish and not even a look. Stream conditions are extremely tough here in the LV, water is low and super clear.
First section of stream I walk up to there were several consistent rising fish. After tossing every caddis pattern in my box and only getting a few of those back peddling follows nothing. I headed down stream flailing flies (caddis) everywhere. Watching sporadic rises everywhere but at my fly.
I bumped into another fisherman and he mentioned he caught a few on caddis after he switched to 7x. (Bell goes off) for some reason laziness had cropped up and my leader got a wee bit short and I never dropped below 5x cause that "worked every other year around this time."
So after redoing my leader I head back to where I started, figuring those fish may now cooperate. I did manage a bump doing the Leisenring lift but of course I ripped the fly out of his mouth instead of sticking him. I don't fish this style often nor have confidence in it but it does produce.
Many times I spend far to long in one hole trying to catch "the fish" in this case the several risers, only to head home getting skunked. Don't get me wrong as time goes on and these situations present themselves I am ever so slowly learning to adapt and have even had different or "new" situations present themselves right in front of my eyes and I have keenly changed it up to meet those needs. THIS DAY WAS ONE OF THEM!
The whole time I was fishing I thought the fish were keyed in on the tan caddis. The hatch was sporadic but after all they were holding in the middle of the water column and racing to the top and breaking the surface. As the afternoon passed the rises slowed, more caddis were coming off but I began to notice red quill taking flight. Then I took notice to something else an over abundance of Blue-Winged Olive's which had a distinct grey hue where popping off everywhere!
As I continued fishing soft hackles I watched several large fish swim past me towards a pocket at the head of the riffle and congregate there. My first suspicion was they were suckers. I was unable to get a good look at there fins I just saw the torpedo shape.
As I watch closely in the choppy water they were competing for space and working the surface side to side as I have seen them do many times before sipping spent tricos. That's when I knew a Blue-Winged Olive would be the ticket. I first tried a comparadun and managed to foul hook a large rainbow who got off before I could release him. It was then I remembered reading on here that several members liked to fish Pheasant Tails as dries in or under the film. I promptly switched over to my simple to tie Sawyer's PT tied in olive and brought an 18" Brown to hand on the 3rd cast. The pod settled alittle deeper so I added 1 BBB piece of shot and 4 casts later I had on an even larger rainbow that ran me down stream where he popped the hook. I had no way to control that fish and it is the first one I ever hooked that peeled line off my spool. The pod settled to the bottom, I managed to foul hook 1 more and bring another average trout to hand before heading home.
All in all it was a truly amazing day one I could never have planned so perfect. To use the knowledge of the game I have learned and actually applying it to an on stream situation is a truly awesome feeling. It's so hard to believe that the littlest of things on stream can mean so much in fish catch. I hope others will consider some of these things when frustration sets in for them on stream.
This is my first attempt at writing a full on post. I hope you all enjoy any feedback via PM would be appreciated.
I'll try to add a photo of the brown later
Decided to head out this afternoon in an attempt to shake the skunk of last weeks trip of rising fish and not even a look. Stream conditions are extremely tough here in the LV, water is low and super clear.
First section of stream I walk up to there were several consistent rising fish. After tossing every caddis pattern in my box and only getting a few of those back peddling follows nothing. I headed down stream flailing flies (caddis) everywhere. Watching sporadic rises everywhere but at my fly.
I bumped into another fisherman and he mentioned he caught a few on caddis after he switched to 7x. (Bell goes off) for some reason laziness had cropped up and my leader got a wee bit short and I never dropped below 5x cause that "worked every other year around this time."
So after redoing my leader I head back to where I started, figuring those fish may now cooperate. I did manage a bump doing the Leisenring lift but of course I ripped the fly out of his mouth instead of sticking him. I don't fish this style often nor have confidence in it but it does produce.
Many times I spend far to long in one hole trying to catch "the fish" in this case the several risers, only to head home getting skunked. Don't get me wrong as time goes on and these situations present themselves I am ever so slowly learning to adapt and have even had different or "new" situations present themselves right in front of my eyes and I have keenly changed it up to meet those needs. THIS DAY WAS ONE OF THEM!
The whole time I was fishing I thought the fish were keyed in on the tan caddis. The hatch was sporadic but after all they were holding in the middle of the water column and racing to the top and breaking the surface. As the afternoon passed the rises slowed, more caddis were coming off but I began to notice red quill taking flight. Then I took notice to something else an over abundance of Blue-Winged Olive's which had a distinct grey hue where popping off everywhere!
As I continued fishing soft hackles I watched several large fish swim past me towards a pocket at the head of the riffle and congregate there. My first suspicion was they were suckers. I was unable to get a good look at there fins I just saw the torpedo shape.
As I watch closely in the choppy water they were competing for space and working the surface side to side as I have seen them do many times before sipping spent tricos. That's when I knew a Blue-Winged Olive would be the ticket. I first tried a comparadun and managed to foul hook a large rainbow who got off before I could release him. It was then I remembered reading on here that several members liked to fish Pheasant Tails as dries in or under the film. I promptly switched over to my simple to tie Sawyer's PT tied in olive and brought an 18" Brown to hand on the 3rd cast. The pod settled alittle deeper so I added 1 BBB piece of shot and 4 casts later I had on an even larger rainbow that ran me down stream where he popped the hook. I had no way to control that fish and it is the first one I ever hooked that peeled line off my spool. The pod settled to the bottom, I managed to foul hook 1 more and bring another average trout to hand before heading home.
All in all it was a truly amazing day one I could never have planned so perfect. To use the knowledge of the game I have learned and actually applying it to an on stream situation is a truly awesome feeling. It's so hard to believe that the littlest of things on stream can mean so much in fish catch. I hope others will consider some of these things when frustration sets in for them on stream.
This is my first attempt at writing a full on post. I hope you all enjoy any feedback via PM would be appreciated.
I'll try to add a photo of the brown later
