Report 9/5-9/8

[Brian Sloss]

I have been taking lots of guide trips lately and the fishing has been consistently good going deep with stoneflies, hex nymphs, crawdads, San Jaun worms and eggs. Then came Gustav and we got about 7 inches or so of rain and the river started rising. By Thursday evening the river at Greer looked fine as far as clarity goes and Thomasville was back to a creek, though murky a little. On Friday morning I arrived with friends to find the river brown and up about 8 inches from a week previous. If we had not been sitting at the ramp and they hadn't of traveled a good distance to get here, I wouldn't have gone. We threw the kitchen sink at the fish and only managed 10 fish to hand and a few more hooked between 6 guys the hole day.

Yesterday I got out in the drift boat with a friend and the river was still up about 4 inches and slightly murky green. The river fished much better, though not quite as good as before the rains. Another day or two and it will be. We caught lots of fish using all the flies mentioned earlier. You have to be DEEP though. The trout are fighting hard and they are fat and colored up well.

[Mark]

Thanks, as always, Brian. St. Louis is forecasting heavy rains Friday and Sat. Is that what you are hearing for Alton?

[Brian Sloss]

30-40% chance over those two days as of right now.

[Golden Blend]

Brian, thanks for the insight. I've never fished the Eleven Point, but have a 3-day float trip scheduled for mid-October, most likely from Greer to Riverton. Just wondering, what line/rod weight do you recommend and what are your thoughts re: sinking line, sink-tip line or just sinking leader? Do you drift flies under an indicator? With split-shot?

Do you ever hook into any smallies with the crawdad flies?

Thanks in advance for any advice, really looking forward to this trip!

[Brian Sloss]

A 5 or 6 wt. 9ft rod is best, as you will be throwing heavier rigs. Floating line with 4 or 5x is fine. Use 4x first as it will be easier to cast the heavy flies and only go to 5x if the bite is off. They are not leader shy for the most part. fish under an indicator and floating line and you may need to add a BB split shot in some areas (ie faster water). A sink tip or full sink line will be good for throwing streamers if you want to give it a try. You should be able to catch fish on woolie buggers, sculpins and mohair leaches. Olive is a great color, but have a variety. Occasionally we pick up a smallie on the Don's Crawdad, but you will get more trout on it, especially through that stretch.

[2sheds]

Hi Golden Blend,

Just to amplify Brian's comment, from a fellow newbee.

The Eleven Point carries a lot of water and it moves FAST. Therefore, many of the popular flies are tied with lead wraps or tungsten beads under the body to get them down before your rig drifts past the hole. That being said, I often find that I need a VERY LARGE strike indicator to keep visual contact through the churning deep water.

And as has been said, you are in for a real treat. The Eleven Point River is a very special place.

[lizard]

Is that crawdad pattern your using dead drifted under a indicator or swing and striped back? Just wondering as Im tring to get down there next Friday. Stopped in at Toms on Wed. and he was all out of the crawdad, but he called back on yesterday and said he now has a new supply in. Well see what Ike brings in sun - mon and hopfuly be down on fri for a 5 day trip with my wife.

[superfly]

Lizard, I like to us a poly yarn indicator soaked in floatant it rides high in the current. Yarn is lite and helps offset the heavy flies. Get the flies on the bottom. I like to cast up stream and dead drifted into a swing with two short stripes at the of the drift. I recommend stopping by the eleven point canoe rental for flies. Their flies are weighted and I know that they can hook you up with the right ones. Don't go on the river without a handful on Don's Crawdads. Hope this helps. Superfly

[lizard]

Thanks Superfly, I will have some in the box, thats for sure. As Im reading this, you are drifting it under an indictor. When i toss woolies I've been known to use a floating line with a fast sink leader and swing and strip back to hand, just trying to figure it all out. Might take trial and error for the rest of my life, I can only hope!