Tail of Two Waters

Fished on Sunday, all the Rivers & Streams are very high with the amount of rain we have has (this is a very good thing). Was looking for Trico's, checked Bald Eagle and yes they were rising but is was running about 6" to 8 " higher than I like it, OK try Spring. Stopped at Hartle's bridge and the mating swarm was forming, about 8/10' above the surface, OK time to fish the wet ant and slowly move up to the "Willow Pool", took a bunch of smaller browns moving up the riffle, all the time looking at the pool and "0" was happening, I mean nothing. Looked downstream above the riffle and no Trico's- where the hell did they god. OK back to the car and down to Bald Eagle, they are up and going like gang busters, oops can't get to 90% of them the waters just to high, had to fish along the shore and pick my way very carefully because it gets dam deep fast. Saw some of the really great fish feeding but they were 30 yards away and most of the water was over my waders and the locals will not let you walk on their property to get within casting distance, wait till next time. Where did the Trico's go on Spring and why do the fish rise so well on Bald Eagle, guess you'll never know but I know where I'll fish Trico's, depends where they fall.

Why do you fly fish?

Just finished reading Gink & Gasoline this morning and it was a very interesting read, why are you fly fishing? Well I do it because that's what I was introduced to 60 years ago, given that we might not have used flies all the time but our rod and reel of choice (it's all we had) was a fly rod and reel, remember that spinning gear did not really become available to the mass market till the 50's. I was also brought up around fly fishing and fly tying because my father did it, he tied the best clipped deer hair bugs for Fishermen's Paradise ( we never realized that they looked like cress bugs), fished them deep and did very well. I liked the idea of tying flies and he gave me a vice, hooks and some material and away I  went, OK maybe crude was accurate but I still loved doing it. During my teenage years at the Susquehanna River I fished with spinning gear for bass, carp and walleyes but every time we were at the cabin it was fly rod only. Both my father and grandfather were nuts about trout fishing or bass fishing with big deer hair bugs, so I guess it's about all that I know but it is what I love to do. I don't really care what people thing about fly fishers but understand that some think we are elitists, maybe it's they way we talk or for some how they dress but most times on the stream we all speak the same language. Yes you could say that I don't share well and that is very true if you appear to be someone who takes and never gives I'll not give you shit because you give us all a bad rap but if you really want help or are willing to share I'll be the first in line to help. Fly fishing give you the opportunity to do it all (tie flies and build rods) and let your creative side take over. I am always tying some thing new because I'm never satisfied with what I tied last year and always think of how to improve my tying skills, hell what other sport can you act like a pack rat and be considered normal? My wife tells me I have enough fur to have a nice coat made for her if I really loved her!
  I fly fish because I love the sheer beauty of it and the surroundings of it, mountains, birds, snakes, wildlife and the biggest reason is because it is dam cool to do. What other sport offers so much beauty and peace but also becomes a passion but one that never seems to come to an end. No wonder we keep looking for what it around the next river bend. 

Bobbers

I just saw a new indicator that Headhunters is featuring and it is a true bobber, now that is just not right. We have seen a long line of indicators come down the stream from the fold over stick on ones to the mold on your leader ones and who can forget the Thing-a-bobber? Every one of these things is designed to tell us when a trout takes our subsurface fly but there is little concern about how they cast or kill your leader and some of them really are hard to take off or take the kink out of you leader after the day is done. I remember when Merican nymphing was nothing more that high sticking but now getting close to fish on some high pressure streams is just not that easy or you could use a 10-12' rod to keep your distance, then try to land a fish. I remember that we just used to add some shot and fish seams, maybe we took some shot off or added some but we never used any indicators then along came the pinch on stuff, good idea but hell to get off your leader as is the paste stuff, just too much trouble. We were on the Big Horn with a very young guide from George Kelly's lodge and he had me in a soft run and I could see that he was getting frustrated with my missing fish-so on went a large wool indicator and it worked very well but he never adjusted it all day. Well that indicator style was long forgotten, hell I can't remember how to do it but it did work. We made the move to dry droppers and had success but if you used a larger fly or a longer dropper set up your casting stroke had to be slow with a wide open loop something that I just am not good at. Then along came the Thing a bobber, yes they do work and in the smaller sizes are a bit easier to cast but they do kink your leader up. I do love the smaller black or white ones but hate the red & white ones ( a joke from the mfg. to suggest your using an old fashion bobber)! All of them have there place and maybe one of them is your favorite and that's fine keep using it if it works but you may want to try the "strike indicator.com " it's from New Zealand and uses wool in different colors, comes with a neat little tool and is easy to use and if you need to move it up or down no problem and the wool after it's treated is a high floater and is super sensitive. Any way you look at it indicators are here to stay just find one that works for you and stay with it. Try the New Zealand set up. it costs about $15.00 delivered to you door and has enough material to last for a few years, I'm sure that you could make a home made version pretty easy but what the heck we are all pack rats and love to buy new shiny things. A small BWO emerger with a nymph tied on the bend extending down about 6-8" is still killer when the Olives are on.

Rainbow's, oh where do you come from?

Sunday morning was to be an epic Trico experience, air temp was 56, heavy river fog, gradual warm up usually equals a later Trico spinner fall. OK got to the BA at about 8:15 and still cold 62 then with fog blocking the sun, birds working the riffles, everything was looking just right. Started to see a few Trico duns and had an idea that today was to be just wonderful, some small rising fish, OK just a matter of time till it gets going, hold still and wait let the little guys alone, do not disturb the bigger fish. I just stood there taking in the sounds and the changing conditions, OK where are the bigger fish, oh maybe at the lower end of the pool, wade down there and watch- nothing but little guys (I did cast to them and caught them and they were little). Time passed and still no larger fish up, OK it should be going by now, still Trico's in the air but no brown's on top, it got to be 10:30 and nothing showing? Started to see tan caddis so I switched and began to catch a lot of fish- rainbows everywhere, I don't mean a few but a lot, on one inside seam I took 8, now these guys are not big 6-9" in length but healthy! Began fishing all the seams up stream and found larger browns in the shaded areas in water that averaged 12-18" in depth but the rainbows were everywhere. Total count was 37 little guys and 6 browns most all on the tan caddis bubble back. Yes there was a very brief spinner fall where I did cast to and catch more rainbows but the spinner fall was a total bust, can not figure out what was wrong but sometimes that happens and when you are handed apples when looking for oranges you become an apple eater or go hungry! I would love to know it the entire BA was the same or just where I was but I never did see a good number of spinners coming down the stream? I'm happy that we have town very important flies at this time of the year that we can count on if one of them takes a break, no I did not fish any ants or beetles, by 12:00 PM it got smoking hot, 85 and killer sun, too hot to fish!
  OK here's the question that no one seams to know the answer to, where do all the rainbows come from, natural reproduction or PFBC? If the BA or Spring Creek has the capacity of producing that many rainbows the water quality has to be just wonderful? What happens to them as the grow up or do they become food for the very larger browns that are found there, questions that I will ask the PFBC biologist the next time I see him at a Spring Creek TU project. Anyone have an idea what is going on there?

Take a break from trout

Just in case your not normally driving across one of our many Susquehanna River bridges or have not stopped for gas along the river and noticed that "The White Fly" is on, hey there are here in very big numbers. The hatch starts about 7:30/7:45 and goes on well after dark, they seem to hold close to the banks and maybe 20/30 yards out so there is no need to really wade far. Most times it might be smaller fish to begin with but locate the correct spot and you will see some very nice bass taking them off the top but if you see a big "V" wake try to line your fly up with it because it is a large channel cat and what a fight they will give you! I fished above the Danville bridge last night and it was only smaller fish there but the hatch was not epic, some days it's great and some days not so much. The North Branch is much better as is the Sunbury side at the Fibrdam but just pick a spot and wait for the flies. No need to get fancy, I use a #14 2x long Zelon winged white spent spinner and they eat it, just go and let the trout alone for a bit.