Current 5/5&5/6

[Gavin]

Went down to Montauk last Wednesday with the family for kids day...What a hoot!...Managed to get out on the river Thursday & Friday AM...

Fished below Baptist with the water level at 2.25 on the Montauk Guage on Thurday AM...Water a little cloudy, and you had to pick your crossings carefully...fishing was good...About a dozen to hand between 6:30 and 8:30am before heading back for breakfast. Two brown trout...one around 19", another in the 16" range...the rest were rainbows in the 10-17" range. Lots of bumps with no hookup so there must have been a bunch of rat rainbows washed out of the park.

Fished up from Tan Vat on Friday morning...Rainbows all over the place again and again two browns. Lost toad of a brown when he jumped and tossed my bait.....then a 17" at the access on my way back. Rainbows, rainbows, everywhere right now...So mid-day fishing should be good. Cheers.

[jah]

Glad you had a good time, Gavin! More importantly, the girls sound like they had fun from your other post.

[trizkid]

Gavin, have any of the trees in the boulder area up from tan vat been moved or completely washed out?

[Nortrad]

I would also like to know if any new structure has been swept up/in. The Jedi fished Friday and didn't do too well. He said the aquatic weeds had been scoured out of the long flat stretch in upper Tan Vat and a lot of sand deposited on some banks. You must have thrown the big baits to scare up the browns?

[jdixon]

I fished saturday from about 6:30 til 2:30 below baptist, the floods shifted alot of gravel around it will be interesting when the water goes down to see where the new runs will be. As far as log jams go the (S) bend log jam seems to have been moved but more logs are scattered about in that whole area. Crossing the river there might be a little tough, I back tracked and crossed further up, the water was moving pretty fast with shifting gravel and new log jams it seemed alot safer. The same thing goes for the horseshoe bend, the first riffle a new log is there and the big jam after that seems to have been pushed aside. Walked to the backside of horseshoe but with the fast water couldn't (wouldn't) cross. The river has changed a bit but I like it, there is some nice new deeper runs and pools. As for the fishing it was good I had action all day, all rainbows which was suprising. I did get alot of bumps don't know if they were (rats) or just short hits. Thats my two cents.

[Nortrad]

Thanks for the report about the structure. Can't wait to explore the new holes, runs, riffles, etc. If only my CG, er, wife, would OK my request for 'river duty.'

[Gavin]

I didnt notice much that changed above Tan Vat...little deeper in spots...some new wood in the water below Baptist..A big leaner over the fast water below the 90 bend before you get the first big bluff..only fished for two hours each morning and I didnt cover that much ground. I heard Cedargrove is still closed...so the outfitters probably havent been down to log it out yet...I'd pack light and bring some rope & a chainsaw if your planning on floating it this week...Just a few footprint on what remains of the beach at Baptist...no drag marks indicating that anyone has floated it yet. Cheers.

[Texan Fisherman]

I fished on Saturday, starting at the end of the park at 6:30 and finishing a little below Tan Vat at 5:30 (with a 2 hour break for lunch and a nap ). I nabbed about 30 fish. All were Rainbows except for one tiny little 9 inch brown. I landed 2 rainbows that went about 16 inches and the rest were standard 10-13 inchers. Fishing was great in the morning in the rain but slowed as the day went on. I had a TON of short strikes that I just chalked up to me being a crappy fisherman, but I talked to another fly fisher at Tan Vat and he mentioned the short strikes as well. You guys are talking about it on here too, so I guess I'm not as bad as I thought. Fishing in the morning during the rain was excellent and I had a hit on almost every other cast/drift.

I can't comment on the changing stream since this was my first time fishing the river.

[flyfishmaster]

Just wonder, on Sam Potter's site he mentioned that the rock parking area/entrance to TanVat is very soft. Were you guys able to drive back to the parking area?

Later,

FFM

[Gavin]

No worse than usual but I always take the high side..Saw Sam's truck at Tan Vat on Wednesday Afternoon on my way to get some firewood. Access had 4-5 cars in it.