Saturday, April 21, 2012

Trout fishing local waters

Local trout fishing is getting a lot of attention.  Recent weeks have seen annual stocking of the local streams around here. With some  milder, stable weather many anglers have been taking advantage of the fishery, myself included. 
Victim of a parachute Hendrickson

Though these trout for the most part are stockers, they quickly adjust their diet to the mayfly and caddis hatches.  We have an abundance of caddis hatching, tans and black caddis in sizes from 10 to 18.  I have had good success with a #12 and #14 brown z-lon caddis.  This is, for me, one of the most productive caddis patterns I've ever used.  Both here in  the east and out west.  Yetserday on the Mad River I had a tremendous evening of dry fly fishing using a #12 parachute Hendrickson.  We are pretty much on track here as for the progression of hatches, with trout taking Quill Gordons, Hendricksons and Red Quills eagerly.  My favorite, and what I am looking forward to is the Sulphurs.

Decent size for a stocked brown
Sulphurs for me signal the beginning of the summer dry fly 'season'.  With the emergence of Sulphurs is the arival of the March Brown, and BWOs.  Soon to follow is the brief Green Drake hatch, followed by the Light Cahills and Grey Fox hatch.  About this time we also get an Iso hatch, these are not the #14- #16s of the late summer/early fall variety, these are the #10 and #12 bruisers that show up every June.   The trout hit these with as much gusto as the Green Drakes or the Hex hatch here in late summer.

 I had the chance the other evening to meet a young man who showed up stream side with a new fly rod, reel and a box of flies.  "It's my first time fly fishing.  I was here the other night and the fly fisherman was hammering them."  He went to Wal-Mart and bought the outfit.  I chatted a few minutes with him and enjoyed seeing his new found enthusiasm for something that for as far back as I can remember has always been a part of my life.  Made me promise myself never to take it for granted, and to quietly thank my dad who so many years ago gave me my first fly rod.  I showed him how to staighten his new line and leader and told him not to drop the rod so far down behind him on the back cast.  There was a lot more to tell him but if he sticks to it he'll figure it out, like we all did.  Fly fishing is not so much about mastering technique as it is about melding with the hatch, the trout and the river, at least that's what it's about for me. Hope I see him again.

One last picture of a nice native brookie I picked up last night.

Tight lines.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Salmon River update

Well, the fat lady may be getting ready to sing here.  The release is almost as low as they can take it, 285cfs and Pineville is reading 402cfs which means there is some run off being added by Orwell and Trout Brook.  The water temps are still in the low to mid 40s so the steelhead are not going to blow out of the river, not yet.  Right now the difference between having fish in the river and not having them is the water temperature.  The last few nights have been frosty and daytime temps having a hard time breaking 50 degrees, still only 37 degrees here today.  As long as the temps stay cool the steelhead will hang out for a while longer.   It does look as though the spring fishing is going to end a little early this year.  There is, however, the drop backs out of the hatchery still to make their way down the river so good fishing still exists here, just how much longer is the questions. 

The early spring and low water in the river alot of guides are moving their operations out to the lake now and from what I here it is good, browns and lakers.  The wind the last few days has been brutal on the river so I can only imagine what the lake boys are dealing with.

I fished opening day of inland trout season here on April 1.  From my last post I was thinking warm, dry, mild... not.  It was a typical opening day as far as the weather goes.  Rain and drizzle, cold and raw.  I fished about an hour at the end of the day, walked across my back yard and fished the Mad River.  Fished a bead head Hare's Ear nymph (link) under an indie, one drop but nothing there on the hook set.  It can only get better.

Anyways, tonights a full moon and according to my time keeping in 6 more full moons we'll be at the peak of the salmon run here, I can't wait.

Tight lines.