Fly Selection

[97trout]

I've never fished the Spring before and am planning a trip on the last weekend in August. Anyone have suggestions for flies/jigs to use this time of year? After reading several posts here and in other forums, I assume that Lasseter and Bayou accesses are only places to wade. How far up/down stream is accessible for wading at these accesses? Thanks for any info you can give.

[Yakfly]

Late August. The only addition to the standard fare would be terrestrials - hoppers, crickets, etc. Since there is no restricted water, a "hopper + dropper combo" would be good idea.

I'd start with something like 2" foam hopper (tan/yellow/green) and below it a lightly weighted or unweighted rubber legged woolly bugger - brown/black/olive. Or maybe drop a big SanJuan worm.

For a one fly rig, I'd go BIG crawfish looking pattern. Marabou jigs also. River is loaded with 'dads and in August they'll be pretty big.

My thinking has come to be that the Spring is a BIG fly river - I have the best luck on flies size 10 and bigger, no matter the style. Most things will work if presented right, just start big and work down in size if you need to.

Stop in the fly shop in Mammoth and get the latest report when you get there. They also have a good map showing access and fishing spots.

THREE places to wade-in - Wade in access at Bayou, Lassiters, and Dam 3 - "the hatchery". Really not a deep river anywhere, there's about a mile of wading at all 3 of those walk-ins.

[billynwtf]

I would bring some olive beadhead buggers in size #10 and some snail patterns. Scuds work at times around the moss.

[memphisflyfisher]

I've always done well with a Y2K/snail pattern 2 fly setup at Lassiters. Another fly that a lot of folks have success with looks like a brown Bitch Creek bug with white legs fished deep. I agree with Yakfly, the bigger the fly, the better. The big flies seem to catch the larger fish.

[97trout]

Thanks for the info. Can anyone tell me where I can get a recipe for a snail pattern or who sells one?

[tinner]

Here are 2. http://www.feather-craft.com/wecs.php?stor...&target=301

[denduke]

Even though they seem to be flashing, maybe picking snails off the rocks. Humped up chennile or peacock herl with a soft hackle is the usual dressing. I tried my snails but after lotta refusals I favored a more heartier offering of the crawdads or sculpins...Maybe I didn't give the snails enough chance and mine were weighted. Since the fish are full of snails and they're so plentiful I wanted to think they wanted sumthin different.... They jumped on the dads! Failed to get a 5 pounder but caught more browns than before on the Spring this trip.

Here's some of my other favorites on the Spring. Use lotta streamers too...sorry no pic now. The pink scuds'a goodin in dingy water...

Hope this helps and lil eye candy to get the spirits up for your trip!!!!! Later DL

[denduke]

Jaun mo time...

Last year, my first trip, the water was dingy and I came up with a weighted "egg critter" that I tied in the motel room that knocked 'em dead. Got the idea from a saltwter pattern. I killed a few bows for the Motel manager. I watched some baiters release about a dozen smaller trout that appeared gut hooked to me before they got 5 big ones each. As they were leaving I asked did they think those they released would make it. "Yeh the'd be aight". Shesh!

Later DL

[memphisflyfisher]

I tie a snail pattern that is on a sz 10 or 12 scud hook. It's a short tail of black krystal flash (6 or 7 strands), with a few turns of black crystal chennile. Stroke the fibers back as you wind the chenille. Wrap the head and that's it. It's always worked very well for me. I usually fish it as the top fly in a 2 fly setup with a Y2K on the point. This has always caught fish for me at Lassiters. When it's a slow day at Dam 3, I'll head up to Lassiters and tie this rig on and can usually avoid getting skunked.

[denduke]

Maybe I shouldn't weight'em down with the lead wire?