Fishing report 2/16

[Fitz]

Well upon entering the parking lot @ 12:35 the gauge in the truck read 73. Once I got out of the truck I realized it was going to be a day of hard casting. The wind was extremely strong! The clouds were passing overhead with a great deal of speed, but when its overcast and there is a chop on the water the fishing has traditionally been good for me.

There weren't many people out this afternoon, and I headed to the rapids above rebar. I was able to make cast both ways starting off, but soon the wind became quite a pain. The longest casts were in the 10 yard range for awhile, but the fish were still hitting.

Around 3:45 things changed drastically, it got cold-really cold. the wind picked up even more and casts became limited to a pull across the top of the water, a big mend, and then letting lots of line out off the reel and rod for an extended drift. There were a few larger fish hanging on the northern bank at rebar, and i was able to hook a couple- the chop on the water allowed me to get pretty close- and I landed one (right at 21 inches gorgeous color).

I started when it was warm with a grey scud and san juan, and when it turned off cold, and since i had broken off the san juan, i switched to a midge. I first went with size 20 midge with a red bead head and a body of black ultra wire, switched to a zebra midge in black, and eventually ended with a midge emerger made with a red rib body, and a puff of grey dubbing for a head and a piece of antron thread laid over the dubbing coming forward to the eye. this last patern seemed to really pay off as it got dark.---If you have any questions about the emerger PM me and Ill try to explain it better, or send you a pic.

I believe I caught right around 40 fish, but i was having a problem reading the pinch indicator in the chop, and got quite a few weak hook sets that popped out.

By the time i finally made it back to the truck at 6:25 the thermometor read 35. There had been quite a change in the weather, but the fishing had stayed pretty steady all afternoon.

Just a thought, maybe someone could contact the makers of NicoTROL, or one of the anti smoking patch makers and see if they could develop one that would help people stop shuffling- kind of a step program where it slowly helped them stop this bad habit. Only a few of em out today, I guess the wind would make it hard to drop it real close to your feet??

Good Fishing to everyone this weekend, if it stays this cold make sure to take a couple extra windproof layers.

[Phil Lilley]

I've heard of a patch... KicaTROT.

Great report by the way- thanks!

[joe]

HEY Fitz

keep thoes reports comming

JOE