Brrrr! Where is Spring?
Last week we were finally seeing some dry fly fishing, caddisflies were hatching, and things looked good. And then it rained, and it rained, and it rained and Fishing Creek broke out of it's banks in the low areas. 6 inches in our rain gauge! Luckily, we only know of one person who had to vacate his home because of water and the stream is now back in its banks and dropping quickly. Actually, there will be some very good streamer fishing for the next few days and after that we're hoping for some warm weather and dry fly fishing. The caddis may have all washed to the Chesapeake, but March Browns are next and we will all be watching for them!
In the meantime......if you do get out, Barry has a suggestion for this high water:
Super Bugger Time
Last week we were fishing adult caddis imitations over rising trout, this morning I watched the high angry currents of Fishing Creek push logs and junk across the same water. This past weekend 6 inches of rain came down. Ok it is what it is, the weather forecast says more rain is likely and as I write this, it is actually starting to hail. But, hope springs eternal and while I certainly wouldn’t want to guide in this water, I do plan on getting out to fish and I do expect to catch fish. Here’s how.
My new Sage 3-weight R8 will stay home and I’ll get out my Sage Sonic 7-weight. My fly line will be a RIO 250 grain sink tip, I’ll need to get the fly down quickly. My tapered leader will be a RIO Big Nasty 6 foot tipped out at 16 pound. Next I will attach a snap swivel which works as a tippet ring and the barrel swivel will help prevent line twisting. To the swivel I’ll attach 14 inches of RIO 0x Powerflex tippet. Last but not least, my fly of choice will be one of Cathy’s black size 4 Super Buggers.
Black always has been the my color of choice in muddy water, I think it shows up better than any other color. My goal is to find pools that have edges with some slack or slower currents, places where trout can sit out of the heavy current. My cast will be short quartered upstream and then multiple mends allowing the super bugger to get down. Before the cast starts to swing, I will put the rod tip low almost touching the water, and start a slow retrieve sometimes pausing for a second and then teasing the fly along searching the bottom. The key here is searching, being patient, and slowly covering any likely looking areas.
This won’t be a numbers game but it can produce some very good fish. Remember that the strike may be soft and set the hook with your line hand. Any fishing is better than no fishing and it won’t belong until the water recedes, clears up, and March Browns will be just around the corner. -Barry
A River's Own Name
If rivers could speak for themselves, what would we hear? What would they teach us? In his stirring and beautiful work, “A River's Own Name,” poet Cameron Scott dives into the secrets that rivers keep, searching for the components that make create nature's most profound music.
In this 8-minute audio, Cameron Keller Scott reads an excerpt from A River's Own Name. Lean back, close your eyes, and let Cameron take you on a river walk. Beautifully written and soothing to the soul.
Thank you Cameron and Patagonia for sharing this with us.
Guiding Report
Only a few shots this week that we got before the big rain. I think it will be amazing next week. Spring is here!
We still have a room at Intricate Bay in July and a couple on the Bighorn in August. If you're thinking of Alaska or Montana this summer, take a look! at last week's blog for details.
That's all we have for this week. We hope you get out on the water and have a great weekend.
Thanks for following along.
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