Some much needed rain arrived this week, a couple of slow half inch rains. Not near enough to say we are recovered, but enough to buy us a few more weeks. The streams are in good condition, but certainly different than a year ago. Expect to find fish in all the normal places, the spots are just smaller than they used to be with the lower flows.
Yesterday was our sixth guide trip in the last few days and was as productive as they have been. Seventy degree temps and cloud cover with some scattered rain proved to be exactly what the guide ordered. Trout were taking the #14 Copper John after the first few casts and did not stop until later in the evening when we added a Narly Midge to a tandem rig. Then they took the Narly Midge (tan Zebra Midge). Wish I had a better fly report, but we never fished anything else. The fish would have eaten whatever we put in the right spot.
There were trout rising to a #16 caddis on the water at 4:00. Later around 7:00, the trout appeared to be taking BWOs or Gnats. I didn’t bother with trying to figure out which as my client was struggling with casting a nymph, ‘we’ did not need the frustration of casting a dry. And by ‘we’, I mean both the guide and the client. Fly fishing is a challenging sport, the learning curve is extremely steep and can be challenging and frustrating. The right attitude, patience and time on your hands are the ingredients for success.
Picking up rocks, you will find plenty of Caddis and Mayfly nymphs. We have some March Browns, Light Hendricksons and Sulfurs yet to hatch….so you can get by with some bigger nymphs if you want to. Always consider a midge with your Mayfly or Caddis nymph, there are more midges in the water than all of the other bugs combined. Our bug population is as good as I have seen it in years, as is our population of small browns (larger ones too). We have not had a major water event in four years. The bugs and the fish have not been stressed (killed) from an ‘out of the banks’ experience and the numbers are good. I’m looking forward to a good year on the water this summer and fall.
Flies to Fish in the coming weeks:
Nymphs: Copper John, Prince, Pheasant Tail, Hare’s Ear (#18 to #12), Caddis (#16 to #14),Midge (Narly, Zebra, Brassie…and all of the other varieties) (#20 to #16)
Dries: Blue Wing Olive – soon to be done, but maybe a few left (#20 to #16), Griffith’s Gnat (#20 to #18), Light Hendrickson (#14), March Browns (#12), Caddis (#16 to #14) Always consider a soft hackle/emerger before/during the hatch….I usually fish it in tandem with my dry fly.
Streamers: Fish ‘em if you hafta….there’s always a bugger hatch!
Fishing report by Kent Kleckner of Bear Creek Anglers in Decorah, Iowa.