Crane Problems

[Lancer09]

Hi guys, new here. First post. I have been fishing crane, and actually work with andrew234 and he seems to have the trout here dialed in. Me on the other hand typically fish warm water and am really having some problems with the trout on crane. I went last night and couldn't figure them out. I fished the park section and had a few hits from good trout on a hopper below the bridge but they were just rolling over the top and not getting the thing. I tried Green psycho princes as well as orange ones. DH and hentry's fork hopppers.pheasant tails and chartreuse copper johns, yellow eggs and adams. I saw a pair of good ones and couldn't get them to bite a small circus peanut. A few of teh smaler trout were literally jumping out fo the water after something but i couldn't see a hatch coming off. In four trips down there I have caught one trout. Last night I caught a decent sucker on the egg, and a small chub or something on the adams. I have been fishing 12's through 16's on my flies, mostly twelves.

They were seriously spooky as well. I was belly crawling to the edge to fish and they still spooked. I was getting a lot of swipes or swim up and takes but nothign. I was using 4 lb moss green mono as tippit, Should i switch to 2?.

Also around the bend in the creek the trout were holding in the near side with little to no current but a drift wasn't possible there.

What do you guys do that works so well for you. I don't want your secrets, just some guidance.

[ness]

Sounds like you tried several files and had them interested. That's a pretty good sign.

You saw them = they saw you. Your odds just went waaay down. Cast to where they ought to be without seeing them for sure. Also, remember where your rod tip and line are.

It could be something was off in your presentation too. You need to get a natural drift and not have a lot of tippet or line on the water. Also, you need to have a really light landing with fly, tippet and line.

4 pound is too heavy. I'd go down to a 6 or 7x and longer tippet if they were acting that way, or if I was casting into unbroken water on a tiny creek like that.

There's all kinda little teeny stuff in the water that they eat and you can't see. Some of it is right in the film, and they'll come up and slurp it. In that case I'll sometimes toss an indicator fly (one I can see well) with a teeny (20-24) emerger tied about 10 inches behind on 7x. Just a little tan or brown dubbing on a hook.

Also --- take it slow. If you're getting short takes, let it rest. Give it a good 5 minutes -- until it's painful -- then try again.

[Gavin]

If your getting refusals...change something...lighter leader, and change flies...and dont spend to much time in one spot...Small creek fishing is usually a run & gun program...your lucky to get 3-4 casts in before your busted most of the time. Cheers.

[Buzz]

I fished Crane on Fathers Day morning for about 3 hours. I had good luck below the city park. I used 2 lb. P-Line and a two fly rig under an indicator. I caught fish on each fly that I tied on, but the dropper outfished the other fly 3 to 1. I usually have a weightless fly like a hares ear nymph or PT nymph under a zebra midge or some other weighted fly. I tie several different buggy looking tungsten beadhead midges that work very well at Crane. I found that stealth is the key for the bigger fish and long casts will help with that. As wild as Crane is a long cast is somewhat relative, but still a good thing to remember. I too had a few refusals, but chalked that up to the fish seeing me, since they would follow the fly for a long time and then just disappear into the deeper water never to be seen again.

As Gavin said, if you don't catch a fish or you catch a few and they shut off just move up to the next hole and try it again.

[ColdWaterFshr]

All good advice, but my best days on these spooky little streams is fishing it when the water is up and a slightly off color. If it is low and air clear, you better be a good ninja caster. One or two casts is the most they'll give you. Get your pocket knife, whittle a pan-flute from the reeds while you let the water rest, compose a tune, play it, practice it multiple times, give a performance and then fish the spot again. Thats how long it takes.

Zamfir

[FishinCricket]

All good advice, but my best days on these spooky little streams is fishing it when the water is up and a slightly off color. If it is low and air clear, you better be a good ninja caster. One or two casts is the most they'll give you. Get your pocket knife, whittle a pan-flute from the reeds while you let the water rest, compose a tune, play it, practice it multiple times, give a performance and then fish the spot again. Thats how long it takes.

Zamfir

ROTFLMAO

[Chris Barclay]

You do that too?

[Danoinark]

Get your pocket knife, whittle a pan-flute from the reeds while you let the water rest, compose a tune, play it, practice it multiple times, give a performance and then fish the spot again. Thats how long it takes.

Zamfir

:secret-laugh:

[drew03cmc]

Sounds like you tried several files and had them interested. That's a pretty good sign.

You saw them = they saw you. Your odds just went waaay down. Cast to where they ought to be without seeing them for sure. Also, remember where your rod tip and line are.

It could be something was off in your presentation too. You need to get a natural drift and not have a lot of tippet or line on the water. Also, you need to have a really light landing with fly, tippet and line.

4 pound is too heavy. I'd go down to a 6 or 7x and longer tippet if they were acting that way, or if I was casting into unbroken water on a tiny creek like that.

There's all kinda little teeny stuff in the water that they eat and you can't see. Some of it is right in the film, and they'll come up and slurp it. In that case I'll sometimes toss an indicator fly (one I can see well) with a teeny (20-24) emerger tied about 10 inches behind on 7x. Just a little tan or brown dubbing on a hook.

Also --- take it slow. If you're getting short takes, let it rest. Give it a good 5 minutes -- until it's painful -- then try again.

Ness, you honestly think that 4# is too heavy? Funny you should mention that, as I have caught fish on Crane on 4# Vicious Lo Vis Green. I guess that is just me though. Before you downsize anything, try a better presentation. I caught trout on the fly down there on 4x tippet. Funny, that is what the diameter of that 4# line I use is.

[troutfiend1985]

Look, the main thing is presentation with these fish. I took my lumps with them, learned from it and now I catch a fish just about everytime I go. Don't wade, walk slow and watch. You'll get more fish by doing this alone. I always use a three or a four weight, and 6x to 5x. I bet you could get by with heavier line, but to me the flies drag less with lighter line(but that is just my experience). The main thing is accuracy on your casts, meaning that you don't line them. No quick or magic cure, just a learning curve. Good luck.

Next week I'm heading down, should be some fun.