Fishing Rated 'fair'

[Al Agnew]

Once again, you are the man Al. What did your fishining bud get the fish on? Trade secret?

"Meat and potatoes"...also known as "a sack of wet kittens" because that's about what it's like to cast it. In other words, a big streamer. We call it "meat and potatoes" because that's what those big trout eat for a living, rather than little bugs for snacks.

Idylwild, that's a great cicada imitation. The fish are just starting to look for cicadas, smallmouth as well as trout. We waded Huzzah Creek for a while yesterday looking for smallies, and caught several little ones on a similar cicada pattern even though we weren't seeing any cicadas on the water.

You hardly ever catch a brown (especially one of any size) on an egg pattern on the Current, but those fugitive rainbows with slowly healing fins do like them.

I actually almost came out ahead in flies Monday...I lost two streamers, one to a rock and one to overhanging limbs, but I gained three flies I picked off a single limb I'd hung up in and was able to drag down within reach--I guess it helps to be using 0X tippet in that case. It would have been fine if I hadn't lost the tip section of my Loomis 4 weight rod when I snapped off the one streamer in the trees. For some reason when I gave it the jerk that snapped the line, it also loosened the rod section, which then dropped into several feet of very swift water (the Current was up and murky). Aarrgghh!!! I've really been breaking and losing pieces off my rods. I now have a Sage 4 weight, the Loomis, and a St. Croix 5 weight that need repair or replacement, and I'm down to my lightest rod being a 6 weight.

[Nortrad]

Wow, sorry about the rods. "Meat and Potatoes" is a great name for a streamer. Should have thrown some last Sunday, should have, would have, could have...

[Jeff Tief]

First time responding but I read the reports and comments several times a week.Have fished the Current and Montauk since 1969.Summer of 1995 started finding lot,s of big browns in the lower end of the Park especially when the summer weather turned hot for several weeks and water levels were lower.Best year was '95 when I caught 14 browns over 3#'s the largest being 8#.Wife Susie had a big male in the 11# range that broke her off after a 10 minute battle.Most of the fish were caught on a red fox squirrel nymph.Have caught quite a few since that summer but have only kept a few browns.Fished with Al Agnew when we were kids growing up in Desloge and fish with Rick Osborn when we can get our schedules and water in line.

[Nortrad]

Welcome, you'ved fished a truly great river, challenging and rewarding.

[laker67]

First time responding but I read the reports and comments several times a week.Have fished the Current and Montauk since 1969.Summer of 1995 started finding lot,s of big browns in the lower end of the Park especially when the summer weather turned hot for several weeks and water levels were lower.Best year was '95 when I caught 14 browns over 3#'s the largest being 8#.Wife Susie had a big male in the 11# range that broke her off after a 10 minute battle.Most of the fish were caught on a red fox squirrel nymph.Have caught quite a few since that summer but have only kept a few browns.Fished with Al Agnew when we were kids growing up in Desloge and fish with Rick Osborn when we can get our schedules and water in line.

Hey there Jeff, good to see you on the board. I hope you continue to share some of your knowledge and stories. Say hello to Susie, for me.

[Al Agnew]

Jeff, glad to "see" you here! Guys, Jeff is a heck of a trout fisherman and knows his stuff. I suspect he's caught more big trout than most everybody on here.