Nortrad

Hot, humid to say the least. Tried some streamers from Tan Vat down from about 7:30-9. No takes a few turns. Tried my first T&A Bunker that I tied. Got some funny, long follows from 10-12 inchers. Here's some 'bows from upper Tan Vat. Luck looked down on me 'cause I got to stream side and discovered my main fly box absent (!) Trudged all the way back through the trail back to the parking area, no box. Had a Coke, rested a bit and headed back. Almost 7/8th of way back retracing my steps and the sun shone on my fly box! Those are SJW's for the 'bows as a dropper below a big stone fly nymph. Finally caught one at the bend w. the dead fall. Cast across when I saw one. He hit the big stone fly. Brought a nice 14"+ 'bow in, fought him, lost him above the bend. My partner of course out-caught me 2-1. He's the expert and I am still the apprentice. He landed really nice browns and 'bows sight fishing w. small caddis dries and a sparkle pupa I lent him. He hauled in a nice 16" 'bow out of the bend and hooked/lost a big brown later. Saw some guys above the boulders really pulling them out of a riffle. Those far shots are of a brown who smacked a little attractor streamer I tied w. a cone head--walkin' the dog back to the car and cold brewed beverages. Going back to my former home in S. central WA state to visit family and fish the Klickitat and Yakima rivers before I start my new job. I'll post some pics. The Current is a great stream.

That's the first person I've read about who's been successful with the Psycho Prince, green I presume? I've used it several times with no luck. I know Brian uses it a lot on the N. Fork. I used the 3D Nymph with success from Baptist.

We will just miss you. My fishing partner gets back to the US and we're going on Wed. I used some rubber legs, Brian Wise-inspired, #6, #8, weighted, last time and did fairly well. I had some nice ones go after the Thingamabobber (I hate that.). I'm thinking hopper/dropper? Pheasant tails work also. Just my two cents.

I'll second that. Got got in it yesterday, couldn't wade back below Tan Vat. Had to crash the brush, a tough trek 'till I got the trail. Got pin holes to patch today. Turned a few nice browns but couldn't get the hit with streamers. Going next week some time, hopefully the Big Muddy, I mean Current will clear up and drop.

I've heard that the eyes don't stay on very well. I suppose it depends on the glue. Would you use small dumbbell eyes? Hook sizes, #6 + #6, shorter shank? Like you said, It's hard to get good marabou, only a few are good in the pack. I'll try it.

Rabbit strips, hmmm... I've got 12 Peanuts sitting on the tying table now, got the articulation down, trying to develop a rainbow design. Thanks.

Thanks Jeremy! Also, thanks for the fly box on the mix up on the order of flies. The olive buggers are great. I've tied a couple of prototype Circus Peanuts for the Current that I'll try in a few weeks. Still getting the design down and placement of the eyes. Thanks again.

It's a rush strippin' the streamers. You were up early. I tried the Swimmy Jimmy also last Thursday, just turning a few, including a big brown, couldn't get an attack. I have since been told to fish it slower and figure out a retrieve that works as every fly 'swims' differently. I'd definitely like to try that early fishing. Bummer about the rod. Look like a new one is in order.

I would have put more fish pics up but my camera malfunctioned or the operator did--turned it on to photo a fish and the battery plopped into the river! I put it in my shirt and it dried off quick, but I tried to snap a fish and it just repeated the same pic over and over. I tried it later and it was fine. You are right FFM, there are a lot of evergreens blown down on the way into Montauk. There's lotsa browns throughout, OTF, some of them are gettin' chunky. I was happy to catch two particular 'bows on Thursday, one way below Baptist where I'd never caught one, only browns, and another juvenile wild trout, with the big spots behind the small ones. He was very healthy for about 9-10". It's a great stream. It's big-time brushy if you crash through to trails though. I had to patch pinholes yesterday. There were water snakes too, but those don't bother me. Nortrad

Fished on Thursday, 5/21 most of day and to 8:30PM with breaks. Tough to good fishing, depending on where I was at. A mistake I now realize I made was not fishing below Tan Vat, from FFM's report. (Taking a break from the heat I watched an older fellow drift a big indicator through the TV hole with a big streamer. He nailed a nice brown.) Caught a decent 14" brown in the boulders above TV. Caught some decent browns and 'bows below Baptist. Early in the evening tried some new streamers way below Baptist. Turned a couple of big guys but couldn't seem to fool them. Miss-hooked a couple of decent ones. Friday AM was tough for me, warm and sunny and didn't pick a good place to fish. Here's some pics of a groundhog I walked up to above Tan Vat on Thursday, also of the blow down from the wind storm (there were two other trees downed above this one.), and one of the browns I caught. Used a lot of different flies: PT's, rubber legs of my design mostly. Fished double nymphs a few times with a SWJ or smaller nymph with the rubber legs. The fish would always hit the big fly. Fishing is tough fun. Going again after June 4. Nortrad

FFM, much props, great report, and I wish I could catch as many fish as you. Notrad

Sorry we're missing each other. Change of plans--wifey wants me to go on Thursday instead of Wednesday. It's better, more time to tie here, more time on the river. Still camping overnight on Thurs. and fishing on Friday most of day. Hopefully the aluminum hatch won't be too bad on Friday. Nortrad

I know it's everyone's working, but I'm camping at the Civil War field, forgot the name. Setting up on Wed. PM and fishing 'till dark, then back to camp for brewed beverages and grill. Up early on Thursday to fish most of day then back to Springfield. Streamers, nymphs, dries, everything. BYOB and BYOG--grilling that is. Gotta get a trip in before I have to babysit when wifey is off to CO. You'd think she'd bring me along to fish... Nortrad

Kudos! Awesome fly, browns with stung jaws all over.

Nice fish! I've yet to catch on trout on Crane...bummed...need some pointers. I've never worked upstream from the park. PT's are the choice for rainbows, esp. flashbacks.

Thanks for the offer. I'm buried in papers, unit plans and grading finals next week. I'm also possibly switching jobs, so that may complicate fishing (ARRGH! Stupid job thing, interfering with the fishing...). I'd like to swap streamer-type stuff. I'm also anxious to try some new 'weapons' I got in the mail this week. I also have to tie. I'll get to you guys. Nortrad

Sorry, Gavin is right, not Hayseed, that's his avatar, duh...

Randall and Hayseed are both right on, from what I've read and the few times I've streamer fished. I use a sink tip and it gets the fly down quickly. I don't use that many weighted streamers. I've caught browns on buggers, zoo cougars, and deer hair sculpins. We met a guide on the 26th and he said he landed a 22" brown on a Circus Peanut that week when it was cloudy. There are a lot of streamers that work with regular floating and sink tip. Again, the water's not that deep or fast on the Current compared to some of the larger streams. The old adage has a lot of truth--big fish go after big flies. It's true, not many will go after the streamer, some will chase, usually those don't go after it. If your drift and technique is right, then they slam the streamer and it's on. I've caught them on drift and swing and jerk strip, slapping the water with the fly. Kelly G.'s technique has some merit, but each stream is different. The river seems very high right now according to the levels. Nortrad

I know. It took me awhile to get the abbreviations down. Flash back. Real small, fine legs on the fly, they're not rubber. Practically every 'bow I've caught on the Current from Tan Vat has been with a PT or variation, or a caddis pupa-roller type fly, or dries. I catch browns mostly on other nymphs, but have fooled them with a PT variation around Baptist.

Here's a pic from Sunday, 4-26-09. PTBHFB, #14, small, fine rubber legs, under the Thingamabobber, upper Tan Vat, boulders. Nortrad (Can't fish for awhile, so I'll have to be happy with tying and pics.)

Thanks Jeremy! Are the marabou you talked about available in Springfield (yellow, orange tip)? Thanks, Nortrad

I've only fished upstream from Baptist. There's a nice set of runs along some small rock 'walls' for dries and some nymphs. There's also a nice deeper riffle on the opposite side upstream from there--get down deep with an indicator, they're there. Nortrad

Nice work boys! My fishing bud usually out fishes me on the caddis flies. I was wondering if the weather would produce another set of hatches. It's a great river. Nortrad

That wound is a crater compared to to hole on the brown I caught.

PT nymphs, HE nymphs, rubber leg stone fly nymphs, and of course caddis dries, various colors #20-14, streamers too, but that's specialized. I've heard buggers work, but I've not used them that much. Good luck!