Post by mirvc17 on Jul 6, 2015 9:41:40 GMT -6
My second trip to the small stream was more productive than the first. The fishing report said "Red Hot" with flows around 15 CFS the first day and then with rain probably at least 30. We camped near the same spot and I went and checked out the river. Visibility was good and I saw an ~11-12" rainbow holding "backwards" in a small eddy that was 3-4 inches deep--pretty cool site. I put a dry fly in front of him several times and was ignored. He slipped away into the current. I caught a few browns on a high-vis, size 14 olive foam caddis with a lightly weighted Iron Lotus in trail.
The next couple of days we had some rain which stained the river pretty good. Depths and flows increased. One morning before the rain I was on a new stretch I hadn't explored. Most of the water was less than a foot deep. I tied on an size 14 orange stimulator and made some pin point casts around trees and brush. I lost one fish due to my leader getting caught on a stick between me and the fish. The 2nd attempt I missed the hook set. A third chance a little further upstream I cast just shy of a large branch going across the stream...I missed yet another hook set.
Got back in my truck and went upstream to the meadows to escape the tight quarters. I found a nice hole next to a huge rock. I pulled out a few fish here on a size 12 red squirmy worm. All browns. I worked back down stream to a nice run and hooked a real nice fish (maybe 11-12") but lost him a few moments after hookup.
The next day I pulled out some more fish in pocket water and a slower deep pool near the camp site. I tried dead drifting a black sculpzilla pattern all the way to a dense log jam and then stripped it forward but no hits. I was hoping a big brown would destroy the fly.
Top fly of the trip was the red/pink squirmy worm. Pink/red pearl braid worm also worked well. Green caddis softhackle jig worked too.
Caddis adults were all over the place and I saw some giant stone fly shucks and an adult crawling all over my hand. The rocks had some clinger mayfly nymphs, cased caddis, and tiny baetis. BWOs hatched in the late afteroon/evening.
Here's a short video with some action.
The next couple of days we had some rain which stained the river pretty good. Depths and flows increased. One morning before the rain I was on a new stretch I hadn't explored. Most of the water was less than a foot deep. I tied on an size 14 orange stimulator and made some pin point casts around trees and brush. I lost one fish due to my leader getting caught on a stick between me and the fish. The 2nd attempt I missed the hook set. A third chance a little further upstream I cast just shy of a large branch going across the stream...I missed yet another hook set.
Got back in my truck and went upstream to the meadows to escape the tight quarters. I found a nice hole next to a huge rock. I pulled out a few fish here on a size 12 red squirmy worm. All browns. I worked back down stream to a nice run and hooked a real nice fish (maybe 11-12") but lost him a few moments after hookup.
The next day I pulled out some more fish in pocket water and a slower deep pool near the camp site. I tried dead drifting a black sculpzilla pattern all the way to a dense log jam and then stripped it forward but no hits. I was hoping a big brown would destroy the fly.
Top fly of the trip was the red/pink squirmy worm. Pink/red pearl braid worm also worked well. Green caddis softhackle jig worked too.
Caddis adults were all over the place and I saw some giant stone fly shucks and an adult crawling all over my hand. The rocks had some clinger mayfly nymphs, cased caddis, and tiny baetis. BWOs hatched in the late afteroon/evening.
Here's a short video with some action.
