August On The Current River

[wormwalker]

I am thinking about taking a Monday and hitting the Current. Heat, aside, my questions are

1. How productive can this time of the year be? I'll be fishing from 8-3.

2. Should I start at Tan Vat or Baptist?

3. Can I assume that even shallow water - 12"- (riffles) will hold fish in the summer because it has more oxygen?

4. Should I prepare to use all forms of terresterals, nymphs, streamers, dries, droppers, etc.? - even the kitchen sink.

5. What about those areas 6' deep, along the logs with all sand bottoms --- any sense dragging a heavily weighted bugger?

thanks for the encouragement

[Gavin]

Fishing can be good this time of year, but its usually best when the sun is off the water. Bring some trico's (#28-32) and some big rubberleg dry flies. Good luck.

[3wt]

I prefer baptist.

The tricos are tough fishin, and you're limited to morning.

The deep areas hold the most fish - I generally catch fish in the deeper stretches with mohair leeches or buggers. Most fish I catch on the current are deep with a streamer.

I tend to think the fish holding spots are usually pretty obvious. If it looks like there should be fish, there probably are.

It's tough to get fish to rise if there is no hatch. The hoppers may get some interest. I have caught fish on elk hair caddis when there is no hatch, but that's about it. I don't typically get into the nymphs, but that's my problem, if you're nymphing I would use the hopper as your indicator and increase your chances.

go to flies:

mohair leech

olive, brown or black buggers

red san juan worms

go balls (i feel inferior even bringing this up)

others use zebra midges, soft hackles (where don't they work), i'm sure a hairs ear is a good bet. As far as big ugly dries, I'm planning on trying some stimulators next time, somebody here said they work really well.

It can be productive at the strangest times. In June I caught more fish in the afternoons than mornings. Sometimes when it's 100 degrees outside I will catch fish like nobody's business.

[jmerriman]

Went to the Current on Sunday, and it was HOT! The river flow was great, and the fishing was decent. Like any normal Sunday the canoers were out in force. We did good until about 1:00, even with the boat traffic. Then after lunch til 7:00 not anything. The fish were holed up but they just were not taking anything.

Lots of success on cracklebacks in slower water, BH princes with a tailing zebra midge in faster water but couldn't find a streamer to work anywhere, stripping or floating.

We saw one hatch (tiny BWO?) early, but just sipping no jumping.

[Kayser]

Princes and copper john's are must haves on the current in the summer. Mohairs with a san juan dropper, ticking bottom in the runs and into the holes.

Rob

[3wt]

Man, you guys make me want to expand my horizons.

I don't get down there more than a few times a year, so I tend to fish with the same old things - dries or streamers.

I really want to get better with nymphs and wets (recenlty started with the soft hackles which is great).

I think I'm gonna try out the hopper/dropper rigs when I'm down there in a couple weeks...unless I don't immediatly start catching fish...I'll make sure I still have some mohairs.

[Gavin]

Its floatable year round, but I wouldnt bring the kids down the river in January or February.

[Forsythian]

Camping can be a little dicey in January/ February

And you DO NOT want to tip

[ColdWaterFshr]

Easily the coldest day of my life.

[Gavin]

All the anti-freeze we drank certainly helped...BTW, I found a source for Tito's in the half gallon size. January cant come soon enough!