Idylwilde

Nothing on this earth remains the same, and as a part of this ever evolving place we live no matter how hard we work on much money we spend in effort to keep it the same we will never do it. Rivers and small streams are living things they move their banks from valley wall to valley wall in time. Nature has a way of healing the scars we inflict on it if it's not that that great. I see this on the upper Current inside Montauk. Foot traffic on the banks take away bank cover then when a high water event comes the river fills in and get's wider. They dredge and in weeks the holes are filling in again. Over and over we fight with the river for our own enjoyment, and it fights back. We spent $$$$$ to place cedar tree bank placements to protect it and in only a few years they were gone. We place huge boulders in the bed to move the gravel and sand on down the river. To where??? Is There an answer? If there was I do not think we as outdoors would like it! Just Saying!

You can contact me at current river trout fishing page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Current-River-Trout-Fishing/191602910883775?ref=hl I think I can help you out.

River view Motel 45.00 night clean and close to river and dining,

What everyone is calling this fly is a Crackle Back, It is not anything like the Story Crackle Back. It is a variant on it. The smaller sizes like #18-22 is actually a midge pattern like a Griffin gnat. It 2009 I started tying this pattern for reed's cabins shop, and I used different tinsel colors like Black and blue, brown and gold. I started using the French Braid last year. I never used a bead on any of the old patterns. I have no idea why the fish like then so well but they do. I have fished them on several rivers with great results. The hackle color seems to be just as important as the body color. I have noticed that fish seem to turn down the fly if the hackle is a different color than the body.

This is all you need. French braid, Tungsten 5/64 bead, 3/0 thread, #11 barbless hook, Whiting high & dry hackle Hot Chartreuse! Note if you place a thin coat of hard nails polish on the braid before you wrap the hackle the fly will catch MANY fish without breaking the hackle if you do not use forceps on it.

Wornica It was a #11 Chartreuse bead head Crackle Back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ_JjQbx5uk&list=UUTjH4zyJjYQbe_3dDCwVmvg

Sorry I call anything with air in it a tube LOL But it was you guys I saw. We was having a fly trade just down river from you. Should have came on down.

Was that you in the float tubes I saw just above Tan Vat taking out. I gave two others a ride to their truck up near the park. Glad to hear about the agents being on the river!!!

KY3 wearther gal saying a chance of some snow flakes Staurday! Wow what a great way to start!

I have been very slack on reports this season on the Blue Ribbon section of the Current River. Because I just have not spent time on it this season. The water level is extremely low and clear plus the fishing pressure has been heavy. But I found time Friday to spend about 3 hours fishing from Tan Vat both in the first hole above and two sections below. I came up with only two bows in the upper hole, they came on a cassis emerger olive bead head size 18. Fished under an indicator at about 24" deep. I walked down to the first riffles below the swimming hole and noticed a mixed hatch of Trico and BWO that the fish were taking off the surface. I tried the Caddis emerger with no luck, then tied on a #20 winter midge (Wilcox Midge) in a dun color. First cast had a 13" bow in less than a foot of water. About a dozen drifts later hooked into about a 16" bow which took the fly with her. I retied a pair of the Midge on separating them about 12" on 8X tippet. I was able to catch 4 smaller bows on that hole. I moved on down to the next riffle and was able to catch two small browns on the same set up. I moved down to the deeper water and noticed fish feeding below the surface. I tied on a #18 harvester with#16 Cadis emerger as weight fly, under an indicator. The fish were very spooked and moved down out of the deeper water. I was able to catch one bow about 17”. I started back up river and made about 6 or seven drifts in the narrow swift head riffle which has a laydown of brush in it. I was glad I did because I came up with the best brown of the year. The Caddis brought to hand a very nice 20 inch brown. Only the luck of the draw was I able to get him landed on the 8X tippet, It helped that his first run was up stream rather than turning and going into the brush and I was able to get behind him and keep him from turning down stream. I saw 8 other anglers on the section as I fished, that is some pretty heavy pressure for that section of about 1/4ml of stream. One other angler from Jefferson City was taking bows off the first riffle using size 20 tricos as I came back up stream. I am looking forward to next Friday and the start of Catch & Release season at Montauk. The weather man is saying the high temps in the low 30’s with north winds, now that’s my favorite time of the year. Only thing that is kind of bad is the lack of water this year. Photo is of #20 Winter Midge .

Phil: I would be glad to put them in the shop. I did not remember to ask for them Yesterday.

Funny thing about sharing fishing spots and information on what your catching them on, is out of 100 anglers who fish an area about 10 will catch a fish no mater how hard they try. Like Phil I share all the information I have with everyone who ask and post it on the internet. I fish a put and take fishery and I can say that I do not fish weekends unless I am ask to. I do fish a trophy (Blue Ribbon Area) and I do not give out the holes I know holds brown trout or post the ones I catch, because the brown trout resource on that area has been so abused and has declined in the past 4 years. I have taken anglers to the areas I know holds rainbow's and fished with them. I have caught 3 to one over the weekend angler simply because I fish 200+ day's a year and keep up on the flies and drift of that area. Most of the people that know me know where I fish and know that just about every inch of the stream is fished almost every day. Yet there is a abundance of fish left at the end of the day. What Al said is true. Once the fish are hooked and released they get smart fast!! That is why I can fish the most popular bait area in the late afternoon and catch fish on a small fly when the bait angler complain they have not caught a fish all day out of that hole. I tell clients to spend the first hour on the stream watching what the other anglers are doing that are catching fish then move to another area similar in depth and flow then do the same. I have seen anglers lined up on a section of water and out of 25 anglers they might be 5 catching fish one after another, and most of time the 5 anglers are friends and have shared information on what to do. I completely understand the hush mouth secret holding on the Smallmouth streams. I do not even tell anyone I fish for them but I do. If asked where I will give a description of area as put in take out! That may be several miles long. I do not post photos of big fish I catch, I see no reason & I release all my fish except for a fish that has showed signs of not reviving. Those are taken to the nursing home and gave to the anglers that can not fish anymore they love it! I know that some of the weekend bass worriers have been known to hire guides to show then the lay out of the lakes they are new to. Then find the day of the tournament the guy they hired a few days ago won the event That is the art of hiding the honey holes and still being able to take clients out and having them very happy over how many fish they caught. I know that there are some secrets places and baits that everyone depends on every trip to the water, but I also know you can fish your best hole with high explosives on some days and not bring up a fish then next day some gal with a french-fry can come to that same hole the next morning and catch a state record fish. That's fishing!

Ozark Trout Fisher was that you camp just below Parkers? I fished from parker to just below the camp with out any luck. Saw canoe traffic also. Montauk to Parker was full of anglers. It was one of those days I just didn't want to fish around anyone and took movies of the river to pass the time. (If that was your camp and you lost a hunters orange camo boney hat That was on the sand bar across from the camp I have It and would gladly return it!!) I posted the video on Current River Trout Fishing FaceBook page.

I have fished Montauk and the upper Current last Friday, Saturday, Monday. Avery day started in the low teens and did not get above the mid 20's. Even with the loons ice off there was still ice. But the fishing was good. I used the Magnum worm, #14 Wilcox Midge (Winter Midge,) #22 Zebra Midge Black/Silver, Cone head woolly Olive/Black. yesterday I only saw one other angler, Saturday I saw seven anglers and all but 2 were using spin cast rigs and catching fish. Four were fishing above the dam where the MDC has started removing gravel last week. I have posted that information and photos about the gravel removal on the FB Page Current River Trout Fishing. Go like me for all the information on the Blue Ribbon area and inside the park. Fishing above the dam is a bit slow because of the dredging being done & all the very deep extremely clear water. Monday I walked up the in river road to make a movie and was able to catch three fish on a Y2K Deep about 8' deep and I was able to see the fish pick it off the bottom. Some of the other areas have been deepened also. the best fishing is along the shallow stretch below the Campground Bridge to the handicapped area in Loop #3. There are several big (3#+) fish in this part of the river. That includes four nice brown trout. These trout are very spooked by anything and rather long drifts help in hooking them, or short drifts in the shallow riffles at the head of holes. The Zebra Midge and March Brown fished as droppers also worked good. The area below Tan-Vat had huge hatches anytime the sun came out, but there were so many that the 24 BWO flies were over looked for the real thing. I went to a 24 Wilcox Midge (Winter Midge) and caught several small Rainbow's and three small Brown's. The pressure has been lite due to the cold and snow. That's about it for this week. But I daily report updates on FB if you fish The upper Current River your welcome to stop by.

Check Out Do-It Molds online!

Your welcome! Take care of yourself that can be bad stuff if you don't.

Tried out a GoPro hat mount for the first time on the opening morning of Catch & release season. Thought it was off but at the end of the day I had a full card and this movie. One very long shot of how the fishing was. http://youtu.be/oF6e3S7mIxk

Wish him luck! I did the same thing a few months ago and never saw it again. Could you add a description of rod?

Phil it was a great day with a very good angler. As you know I had a long Saturday morning guiding four anglers that had never held a fly rod, but left being hooked on the sport. They caught several fish on Magnum worm's. That afternoon it was a pleasure fishing next to you and watching you catch all them fish. Then Sunday was like a vacation day for me while we spent hours easing down the Current River watching fish and putting the puzzle together on how to catch them. I know some folks do not like a trout park and think the fish are dumb and easy to catch. It's is that way in some areas of the park but as you saw not all of the park is that way. We fished areas that other anglers wade past and areas that were shallow and fast current. Some were heavy with overhang brush that steal your flies. We had to fish hard to catch fish all day, but as I see it that's fishing. We went hours and didn't have but a few anglers move by us, some of them complaining about the fish were not biting. I would open my box up and give them a couple flies that would catch fish for them. One of them even came back by to thank us for the help. I knew you would be bored to death fishing the so called good water in the park that is easy to catch 50+ fish a day, so I was glad to show you my fun areas and hope you will return for the Catch & Release Season. That is a time you can fish those areas all day and never see another angler. Again it was a pleasure to fish with you! Trout Park's are not all bad. LOL

So from what your saying is Jadwin & Akers open for floats now?

A link to all is known about the shut down by anyone. http://www.doi.gov/shutdown/index.cfm And! http://www.doi.gov/shutdown/fy2014/upload/NPS-Closure-Determination-and-Notice.pdf

2lb test SOS tipped with about 18" of Phantom FLUOROCARBON 7X 0r 5X.

As I have Seen an heard second hand is that the federal Rangers are still on patrol of the River Ways. It is the biggest land mass in the Federal park system and they are not many of to patrol it all. But I saw three rangers in the upper sections of the Blue Ribbon Area last week. Note: That was the most I have seen all year: Also the story about the two locals being arrested came from a reliable source to me, from another local from Salem. The were ask to leave and told the ranger to make them, so they were made. If you read their rules that they released you can see that no fishing would be allowed. It states you can float through the park BUT do not step foot on land or gravel bar belonging to the River Ways. Now how can you get to the water without doing that or leave the water for that matter? I understand where everyone is coming from on this but as Phil and others discussed yesterday I don't want to be the next person they make an example of. Guy's This too shall pass. I tend to look at like the fishing pressure has been lifted for that area for a few weeks and will be even better when it opens back up. I would love to be there today fishing BUT till I see proof of it being legal I will not break the law. But I can not tell anyone not to do what they want to do. As to the chances of being caught it's like the others that break the law in the blue ribbon zone face every time they break it. Or buying a winning lotto ticket, you know it's a risk and should be prepared to face up if you get caught. It has cost the whole river ways business a lot of money and like you we have no control over it. All I can say is Go Vote!

There has been a few Mayfly hatches late in the evening coming out of the deeper leaf beds. These are large Mayflies with about 3/4" wing spread and 1" tails. They do their dance and some fall but I did not see one rise for them. I also tried everything I could rake out of my box with no luck. I saw no browns but did see some 16" rainbows. Caught only three fish in 3 hours. The MDC has invited me on a Brown trout survey the last of the month. From above Tan-Vat to Baptist Camp. Then from below Parker Ford to Baptist. Should be interesting! The bigger browns are still hitting the Lunker Board in the park. But the weights are getting lower and lower. 3.2 lb now. Two years ago they were 7-8 lb Last year they were 5 to 4 lb. all are coming from Blue ribbon cable to below the 119 bridge. It seems that the smaller browns do not move as far as the bigger ones that fast.