We aren't fishing over Reds here, lets point that out so some silver spoon pansy doesn't have anything to argue about how special he is. We're fishing well down from any inlets, so the fish we're catching are off the spawn. All of us here in this area greatly repsect leaving the beds alone-more fish next year. We're getting it figured out.
Nymphing with Pat's rubber legs, which we call the turd works well if you can throw it out and deep past the smaller fish, then get a good mend and drift. Remember, mending in water is one thing, mending in water and wind, that's different, but can be done. Mostly, we care about what's happening down there in other world. Keep that nymph deep and skipping over rocks.
When you pass the run and think about making another roll cast, let it hang there, just for a few seconds. Sometimes fish will follow your bug for a long way, many of them in that somber, and that big brown thing you just rolled by them woke them up-give them the chance to eat it. (did you sharpen your hook)
Mid Day brings some great top water sipper action. I usually head back to the truck, turn on some Hank Jr. and go for a cruise, I start looking for sippers from the bridges. The mid day midge hatch can speckle your rig, like the love bites of fishing. Once I see some feeding fish. I add some 5x or lesser, long, clean and slick.
I,ll wade well above the first rising fish and hope theirs another one up front. I like catching those greedy ones first, the big fish that swim through everyone so they can have the first bug that comes by! I'll then work my way, casting 3/4 downstream, both sides if I am in the middle. One at a time. Keep your hook sharp, your knots tight.
Setting the hook with all that slop out there, crooked rod, current, 10 foot leaders, that fly line you forgot to clean, floating like a gutted rattlesnake. You'll miss some, you'll donate some flies, but in the end, you will have discovered a whole new way to fish!
My wife Len and I hooked up 60 fish one afternoon and she laughed so hard she pee'd her waders! Don't let the snow a bit of cold get too deep into your fishing soul. Get out there!
See You on the Water
Jim "JB" Klyap, Outfitter #7843
