I had some things to do before I Could fish and I did a lot of second guessing as I kept trying to work out the best plan for my fishing trip today. I had painted myself into a corner by trying NOT to plan until I knew the weather and the water levels. I'll probably do the same thing tomorrow. I guess I'm a slow learner.
I finally decided to fly fish only. I choose to do Rim Shoals and fish from the normal walk in area. I thought about using the yak as a water taxi, but I did not have a shuttle arranged so no go there. Nope, just going to walk it. I took the four weight.
I looked at generation history and generation projections. I felt like I was safe to wade until at least 6 PM, but I am still really paranoid about getting caught by high water. I packed my phone with me and re-checked mid trip. They turned water on as previously scheduled. So no worries, but I still worried. I set an alarm on my phone.
I started out with a single heavily weighted Pheasant Tailed nymph. I missed a few takes, but never caught a fish on it. A nice Cutty completely engulfed my indicator up close and personal. I tried to stay patient and worked my way across to the top of the first island. Be aware wading in some areas is much more difficult at 700 plus CFS than it was at <200 CFS. Fish are fat and happy though.
I talked to a local gentleman that lives just upriver from Rim Shoals. He fishes down there a lot. He runs a Shawnee with a Merc jet. I was going fish less and he was abusing them. He shared that he was using a sowbug pattern. He usually does and he is usually catching them. I switched to trout crack and it was ON. I got 6 to hand and quick released another 3 or 4 pretty quickly. I was feeling much better about things.
I decided to swap flys. Just because. I put on a hopper and added on a self tied Ruby Midge about 15 inches below it. It did not take long at all to start getting looks. Freaking trout would loom up under the hopper. Some slashed at it and other melted away without biting, but I was only catching fish on the ruby midge. Catching is fun however you do it, but Dang It, I wanted some hopper fish.
I believe that I was catching fish that were attracted by the hopper, but settled for the dropper. The dropper was often a lot higher in the water column than is normally effective with a midge. I also learned that the hopper doesn't react to a take the way an indicator does. I missed fish because of that, but lesson learned. I find it difficult to watch for a hopper take and a hopper pull down at the same time. I feel like I am to fast to pull the hopper away and to slow noticing the ersatz indicator acting funny.
I am perfectly willing to blame myself. I apparently suck at fishing hoppers. I missed bite after bite after bite. Worst yet I was counting the misses. Sometimes, it was not my fault. A Big pudgy one knocked it away from herself with her big blunt nose. One guy struck where it had been a split second after I lifted it for another cast. Etc. I saw one munch it and he most def had fly in mouth. Rubber legs were sticking out from between his lips, I lifted up and never touched him.
I stumbled onto the Cutthroat Kindergarten. I caught several Colorado sized cutthroat. Very colorful and very small. Many of the rainbows I caught were colorful and fought hard. 8-10 fought a little too well.
I fooled around and had the biggest Rainbow I have ever had hooked on a fly rod eat my hopper. She jumped completely out of the water multiple times. Huge. Beast. Pink Cheeked Monster. I had it on long enough to dream that I was going to catch it. Then it was just gone. Barbless beat down.
I did finally catch a few trout on the hopper. I loved every one of them. I still swore angrily at the ones I missed. I coined a new term for that anger. Troutrage. Feel free to use it If you find yourself dropping f bombs every time you miss a take on a dry fly or hook the fish just good enough to roll him before the hook lets go. I think I hooked 7 of the 22 bites on the hopper. I think I caught 4 trout on the hopper.
I finished with 27 trout brought to hand in 4 1/2 hours of fishing. I got really frustrated at times, but knocked some more of the rust off my fly fishing skill set. I lost all 6 of the ruby midges that I had brought with me. Me and 6X are frienemies. I tired some other stuff (had to). I had less success with a SJW. I had a little luck with a Red Zebra midge, but settled on a BH Prince nymph. I would have rather stick with Ruby Midge, but the BHPN did about as well honestly.
one final note. The trail through the woods along the river that Gary Flippin graciously made is in SERIOUS disrepair. Washed out in several places. Multiple trees have fallen across it. And it is heinously overgrown. Any two points are said to make a line and I guess you could say the path I took was a trail. I think I was on the actual trail at least half the time. I did donate some blood to a green briar vine and I also got reacquainted with stinging nettles, but I avoided venomous reptiles, so it's all Good.
Maybe I need to be coached up by my fly fishing muse. I'm not sure if I setting the hook too early or if a bunch of them are just gonna miss it some days. I've had big Browns just roll up and eat it like a fat kid eating a doughnut. You almost cant take it away from them . I do know that trout don't vacuum in things as well as bass and panfish. But Hey, they eat my Ruby midges.
