A Misty Outing
I had a plan on Saturday. It didn’t work!
I arrived in the morning at the Swift Hatchery Pipe Toilet Bowl area (our river guide here). I had made some new experimental dries, and the plan was to test them out in the morning, catch a few fish, and, then, migrate to north of Rt. 9.
Dawn arrived, cold and abrupt. I walked to the bank and noticed that there wasn’t a lot of fish activity. Brookies were no longer on their redds, and the place looked pretty quiet.
Mist was rising everywhere.
I started to cast. I kept casting. Nothing. No takes. I couldn’t get any fish to move to inspect my dries. Ice formed quickly on the guides with air at 24 °F. Water was a decent 48 °F, however.
It was serendipitous, and, Alex and Ashu came to the river. We didn’t plan for this. It just happened. I made room for my Blog Buds, and we all got to work.
I stubbornly fished “dries or die.” A few fish were solidly on but fell off. Zero landed. It was a bummer. In general, the new experimental dries pretty much sucked.
I decided I would keep at it and start rotating flies and move a bit. I texted the Mrs. that my “half day” of fishing would extend. I started fishing my “old reliables.”
Thankfully, I started to get takes and eventually went into double-digits with the brookies and smaller rainbows. Alex and Ashu went upriver, and I felt that I simply had to try and get a “decent” ‘bow. I stayed.
I kept plugging away. The key, I found, was to throw large-ish flies. Maybe, it was a curveball that just got their attention?
Fortunately, I was able to land three rainbows. Here are two of them.
Either way, it reminded me that fly fishing can be very humbling, but, also, can turn on a dime. I rotated through many, many dry flies. The best ones: #20 to #24 Parachute Post dries with split micro-fibbett tails (one in olive, another in grey), black #30 CDC Midge Emergers, a #16 Renegade, and a #12 Elk Hair Orange Caddis.
In the end, it was a very good outing. I caught some fish on dries on a cold day. I gave away flies to three anglers. I met some old friends and made some new ones.
I left the river a few hours late and rushed home to help with chores. I guess I may be in the penalty box.
So worth it.
Tight lines to all, and it was great to meet up, Alex and Ashu….
Ah the last cast! When the fishing heats up it can last for hours! (and the consequences are worth it)
Love those Brookies!
Nice post Jo! It was fun meeting you out at the Pipe. Definitely one of my most productive outings this fall (and most challenging).
Was fun! Email me your cell number.
Sent it!
dang, I was out at the Y pool right as the sun was coming up on Saturday, would have loved to meet up! Lots of nice bows and brookies split evenly between a #14 sexy walts with an olive tag and #18 hot orange soft hackles. Maybe I’ll see you out there someday!
Nicely done! Yes, plan was to hit the Y Pool later, but, I ran out of time. I am sure we will meet. I’m the guy with the Frabill net and William Joseph Confluence chest pack. Always feel free to say hello, Evan….
I had pretty much put my dry flies aside for now, but that will change after reading your post, Jo. Fishing the lower Swift a couple times this Thanksgiving weekend, there were some good sized caddis flying and landing on the water, but nothing was rising to them so I stayed with the sub-surface flies on Friday and again this afternoon.
No fish netted this Sunday afternoon, but got one soft hit as I slowly stripped in a pheasant tail nymph with a rainbow warrior dropper in deepish slow water. The fish did not connect, or so I thought. I noticed a couple of casts later I no longer had flies on which baffled me being there was nothing remarkable about the hit. Knots were all good as I tied and tested them prior to leaving the house. 5X fluorocarbon tippet was fresh off the spool too.
I think you’re fishing a more challenging stretch than I was. My luck changed most likely because some pellets were coming down, and that energized the fish. Glad you got out!