Fishing Report 6-13

[tinner]

Yesterday was my first trip to the Current River. I got down there at around 6:30 and was on ther water at 6:45. I started at Baptist and went downstream. I have read articles that the insect hatches were down so far this year, but not that morning there were millions of small 18-22 black bugs with white wings and a white striped abdomen. I got to watch one "hatch" on my flyrod. It started with its wings kind of folded back and then it unfolded them and let them dry. I caught one dink brown on a cream midge and one bluegill on a crackleback. I didn't get to far down around 9:00 the aluminum hatch was on. After the canoes started coming through I headed upstream from Baptist. It was a pretty slow morning I tried a bunch of different flies but at around 11:00 I finally found what they wanted: stonefly imitations. They were really biting on a yellow stonefly imitation and then the tree trout claimed my only two that I had so I put on a black one and they tore that one up even better. There is a bunch of skinny water right above Baptist but I managed to pull one out of the shallow water. It wasn't until I got up closer to TanVat that I hit a couple of real nice spots. I caught somewhere around7-8 fish here all around 15" and full of color and fat. While playing one in some faster water I thought I noticed a big clump of moss hanging off of him and I thought that is strange I didn't see any moss around where he was and then the moss moved the other way and upstream and I said that's not moss and then it came back chasing the rainbow and it was a brown several inches bigger than the bow. I released the bow and watched the brown go to the bottom so I thought here we go, wouldn't it just be awesome to tussle with him next. As luck would have it here comes a family on tubes through the spot and away he went. I didn't even get to cast to him. Oh well I had a blast either way. I caught one more 10" bow back to the truck right at Baptist. I can't wait to explore downstream from Baptist after float season.

[anieman]

Those bugs you saw were tricos and there's usually some pretty heavy hatches this time of year. What sizes of stoneflies were you using? Ive never fished those on the Current. There's some great water downstream from Baptist and some big fish, but the canoes are always a problem.

Austin

[tinner]

They were a size 6. The yellow one looked very similar to a crackleback with rubber legs and the black one looked like it was wrapped with black and copper chenille with copper colored rubber legs. I got them at Hargroves.

[flyfishmaster]

Tinner,

I very happy to hear that the Trico are finally coming off. My last trip down had little bug activity.

I might have to make me some of those rubber legger crackleback thingies. Sound very interesting.

later,

FFM

[3wt]

The return of the Tricos...finally.

Stoneflies you say...wierd. I'll have to give it a try. I have seen the odd big yellow stonefly fluttering around, but wouldn't have really thought that the fish would care about a stonefly here or there. Maybe it's something they see just enough to know that they should eat it when they can. At any rate, I'll have to give it a try.

[tinner]

The size was a #10 not #6 half asleep when I wrote that.

Tim

[tinner]

Just a quick question. How far down from Baptist can you wade before you get into water that is to deep to wade through?

[ColdWaterFshr]

Pretty far, however, there are several spots where you will have no choice but to get up in the brush to get around a deep spot.

[3wt]

I've waded the whole way from Baptist to Cedar Grove. Don't bother doing that just FYI. From about Ashley creek area down to cedar is pretty slow fishing. I think there are a couple spots that you do have to go around spots. The water is up this year so there are probably some rough spots to wade. There is a "trail" on the west (?) bank (right hand side if you're looking downstream)

Here's the trick - start at Baptist, wade and fish for a while (alot of good water) You'll get to an area with real big sand bar on the right, keep wading and fishing. The river splits a little and then there's a big sandbar on the right (not as big now as before the flood). Used to be a big log jam and then a HARD right hand turn with a nice pool created. If you go to the right hand bank (downstream) you'll find the horse trail (actually, it's been there for a while, just not worth taking it with the good fishing spots). It gets pretty rough. The river gets a bit slow here with bluffs on the opposite banks. I like to skip this - there are fish, but they see you coming a mile away. Fish the good spots. You'll eventually come across a creek, this is ashley creek. Follow it to the river and fish all around, up and down from here. Wade upstream and hit the good spots again. By the time you get to your car you're feeling like your legs will fall off from the upstream hike. Well worth it if you catch at least one.

[mhall02]

Used to be a big log jam and then a HARD right hand turn with a nice pool created.

Yeah, I've had some really good luck in this nice pool, caugt a 16-17" brown here last year, made my trip!! I'll have to keep on going down and try where the creek dumps in. It is a bit of walking, I went last year on July 5th, arrived on the stream around noon and left around 5:p.m., nice warm day to be on the water.