Let's Hear About Good Fishing

[billems]

This has been the worst fishing season in my memory. We needn't go into the details. Fire, drought, climate change. So, I want to hear from you fisherfolk who've had a good day of fishing. If I can't get a real thrill, a vicarious one will suffice. Go.

[Sandan]

Last night on a local tailwater. My buddy and I got there after work around 5. Said, let's check out the "xxxxx" pool. Parked, got out, walked to the river for a look see. Nothing happening, but we were there and we know if there's gonna be any dry fly action that was the place. It's a pretty technical spot, flat slow water a couple of rocks to break the current a deep riffle at the head, the whole run is maybe 100 yds long, so usually there aren't many people there as compared to the rest of the river. Go back to the car, wader up, get my rod put together and back to the river. Tie on a #20 BWO, film critic and #22 parachute pseudocloeon. See a couple of risers. Stalk over to one and get a hit on the pseudo on my second cast but miss it. Hmm this could be a good evening fishing. Start stalking for more risers and it's really spotty. 6 o'clock rolls around we're at the head of the run and start seeing heads. Let the hooking, catching, losing and breaking off begin, in no particular order. We finally left after 8 'cause we couldn't see our flies and the rises were so subtle that even if you thought the rise was by your fly and set it was total hit or miss. The fish were still rising like crazy when we left. One of the best evening hatches and fishing we've had since the year began. Oh yeah, the fish were all nice ones, no dinks, 16-20" ers. The 8' 4/5wt Mantra penta fished w/ a DT 4 did an excellent job.

[Brooks]

I've had some great days on the ------------- [redacted]River , just across from ------------ [redacted]Creek, using -------[redacted] flies, and fishing primarily with my Howells 8 for 5 and my TMR 8'3" for six. ;-)

[GerardH]

Bill,

I agree with you that 2021 has been a letdown on "our" river -- which has been a continuation of the post-2020 flood and exacerbated by the historic heat wave and drought in June that pushed us from May into August conditions in a matter of 10 days.

That out of the way, I've been having superb trico fishing in terms of good spinner falls the past couple of outings, fish are looking up and being receptive to my offerings -- in terms of quantity, this has been my best trico season in years. If there's been a downside, it's I haven't gotten into any fish over 13" the entire season. Also, the weed bloom has been incredible this year -- I thought last fall was bad. As a plus, my timing has been pretty good the last several outings with cooler mornings and at times overcast that seem to prolong the spinner fall and/or bring out olives -- lots of surface activity to keep me interested. That new (to me) 7'0" Hoffhines build has been so much fun with #22 flies & 6X tippets...perfecto.

Earlier this spring/summer, I spent an inordinate amount of time haunting my boyhood brook trout streams in northern WI with my new PHY Midge clone and was having a blast with that. Hope to repeat that later in September as the foliage thins out a bit before the grouse/woodcock beckon me to bell up my Britts and head out to the aspen coverts.

[Perry Palin]

At mid-morning there were no other cars at the pull out. It was early June. I looked forward to knowing how the water had pushed the sand around, and how the weeds had anchored the sand, in the three years since I had been to this small brook trout stream.

I plopped into the water about a hundred yards above the road. A high overcast was burning off, and the fish would be in the shadows of the alders and under the weed banks, and further upstream, in the shadows of rocks. It had rained hard at home, but here the rain had passed by, or the woods had held the runoff, and the water was clear and cold.

The twists and turns of the stream bed had not changed, but three years of current had moved the sand, filling some of the old pools, and digging new deeps down to the gravel. The first rise was fifty yards away. I tied on a small brown soft hackle and fished it upstream on a long line. In the first fifty yards I caught four small brook trout. When I was close enough I tied on an orange bodied Chuck’s Caddis and cast to the spot of the rise. The fish took the fly immediately and shook off just as quickly.

The alders leaned over the stream, which provided cover for the trout and frustrated most anglers. I used a 6’9” 3wt rod made by a friend. It was a good match for the brush and a good match for the trout.

In the shallow water I used the soft hackle until I saw a rise, and then switched to the caddis dry. In the few places with water over thigh deep I changed to a small wet Pass Lake and twitched it back toward me. I don’t know how many fish I caught. The brook trout were wild and sleek. Two were about eleven inches, good fish in this little stream. At an undercut bank a bigger fish took the Pass Lake and I netted a brown, a traveler from downstream, about fifteen inches long. Ten minutes later another like that charged from under a log and tangle of branches, and I pulled back too soon and missed him.

I climbed out of the stream a half mile above the car and hiked back through the woods. There’s no path, but I’m good enough at finding my way, and I was at the car in fifteen minutes. At home I hung my waders to dry, ran half my fly line out onto the carpet of the tackle room, and took the rod from its tube and sock and laid it on the tying table. Then a late lunch, and then a nap.

[PYochim]

Good cutthroat fishing on a tributary of the Teton River in Victor, ID.

[barebo]

Here in Central NY, and actually statewide this summer, we've had far more than average rainfall. I won't fish low and warm streams but have been able until recently to fish local streams that have remained at nice levels for the most part and cool enough to not stress the fish. If the trend continues it should be a productive late summer into fall season. I'm feeling fortunate to have had some great days so far this year.

[red 1]

Until the heavy rains the Farmington was smoking hot all spring-summer. Caught and lost some of my biggest fish ever this year.

[billems]

I"m off to my river, following two days of rain. If the water's muddy, I'll put on a muddler weight the tippet.

[ted patlen]

It may seem funny but one fish is a good day for me now.

[Brooks]

It may seem funny but one fish is a good day for me now.

+1
Especially if you have the day to yourself! I’ll take a one fish day over a 12 fish day anytime, if it’s a quality day of isolation.
Lately I find myself reflecting on the day more than the fish.

[headwaters]

Great idea for a thread, billems! It has been a pick-me-up, so . . . Thanks!

[GrsdLnr]

It's a minimum 6 to 8 hour drive for me to find trout fishing worthy of the name. I've only been able to get away once so far this year, to the Frying Pan/Roaring Fork in early July. Second trip to the area. Fishing was good, not great. Restricting myself to dry flies only on the FP I found decent numbers of 10 - 12" fish willing to come up despite few bugs on the water. If I ever get tired of foot long wild trout on dries, it'll be time to take up another sport. Ran into another Forum member, Midge 7X, who was staying in a nearby cabin (hi Ray!)



Took a float trip on the Roaring Fork (a first for me) and caught some better fish (up to 15") but it required nymphing to get them

Perhaps the highlight was not getting attacked by a black bear that came around a corner in the trail on the FP and thankfully ran off when I shouted at him. No lie, it was all of 10 feet away. Not a huge bear, but big enough that it would have been a rather unpleasant encounter had he been aggressive.

[CDCdun]

It has been a tough fishing year. Trout river closures, the Deschutes was just closed for summer steelhead through the remainder of the year. Very depressing. I did have some great saltwater success. Lots of permit, tarpon and bonefish in Mexico…



And a heck of a bonefish in Hawaii!




Jake

[adrien schnee]

Geez Jake, that Hawaiian bone is so enormous it looks like some kind of beastly redfish! How much did that guy weigh do you think?
Pretty spectacular permit too! Well done, a real achievement.

I’ve had some fun outings this year catching good numbers of native Burmese trout and jungle perch out of a river a couple hours away on stripped hoppers, but one would weigh them in ounces, not pounds. The Mahseer fishing was ok on dries and nymohs until village kids started hanging out and swimming in the accessible pools when it got hot in March ( which was every day with Covid school closures ) and then the rivers became high with the rainy season. Now it’s looking for giant snakehead, but so far the caching hasn’t been worthy of the topic “ let’s hear about good fishing “!

[billems]

Until the heavy rains the Farmington was smoking hot all spring-summer. Caught and lost some of my biggest fish ever this year.

I'm a jazz drummer. John Ramsey, who teaches drums at Berklee, sends me pics of some very nice fish on the Farmington.

[billems]

It's a minimum 6 to 8 hour drive for me to find trout fishing worthy of the name. I've only been able to get away once so far this year, to the Frying Pan/Roaring Fork in early July. Second trip to the area. Fishing was good, not great. Restricting myself to dry flies only on the FP I found decent numbers of 10 - 12" fish willing to come up despite few bugs on the water. If I ever get tired of foot long wild trout on dries, it'll be time to take up another sport. Ran into another Forum member, Midge 7X, who was staying in a nearby cabin (hi Ray!)



Took a float trip on the Roaring Fork (a first for me) and caught some better fish (up to 15") but it required nymphing to get them

Perhaps the highlight was not getting attacked by a black bear that came around a corner in the trail on the FP and thankfully ran off when I shouted at him. No lie, it was all of 10 feet away. Not a huge bear, but big enough that it would have been a rather unpleasant encounter had he been aggressive.

Glad you made it!

[CDCdun]

Geez Jake, that Hawaiian bone is so enormous it looks like some kind of beastly redfish! How much did that guy weigh do you think?
Pretty spectacular permit too! Well done, a real achievement.

I’ve had some fun outings this year catching good numbers of native Burmese trout and jungle perch out of a river a couple hours away on stripped hoppers, but one would weigh them in ounces, not pounds. The Mahseer fishing was ok on dries and nymohs until village kids started hanging out and swimming in the accessible pools when it got hot in March ( which was every day with Covid school closures ) and then the rivers became high with the rainy season. Now it’s looking for giant snakehead, but so far the caching hasn’t been worthy of the topic “ let’s hear about good fishing “!

We guessed the bonefish to go about 9 pounds. Not a true double digit bone. But He was tailing in glass surface conditions in less than a foot water. A memorable experience for sure.

Jake

[Caneghost]

The weather has certainly been challenging, as it always is in some way. But I have had my best season since retirement. Hatches have been sparse for the most part, so as a dedicated dry fly man I have to hunt trout. Fishing very thoroughly and stealthily has brought many fine wild fish to hand on dry flies and bamboo. More rain and storms coming, so there will be more washout days ahead, but the rivers will drop eventually and I'll keep at it. Come October, the grouse that befuddle me will compete for my time, but there are still afternoons...

I treasure every day here.

[scarlet>fire]

Had a fabulous day showing my brother some new (to me) water that I was turned onto a few weeks ago. Took our time, made streamside coffee, fished dry flies and hooked/lost/landed/released a bunch of small wild rainbows. Fished my 8' Sweetgrass 4wt quad. Always grateful for days like this. Cheers, Chris