I fished today! First time in a while...

[Brian K. Shaffer]

I finally got out to catch some trout today. It had been about 2 weeks since I had even held a rod in my hand. Sometimes you just need a break from fishing if your a trout bum, thats how I figure it.

So about today... the fishing was kind of slow this morning where I started at the horn hole above the Shep boat ramp. I caught a few at first on a CrackleBack sz 16. A couple of fish took it dry, but most ate it from just under the surface which is just as fun too. I switched to big green wooly sz 10 and had a single fish eat it before I changed to soft hackle. I must have released 15 fish (nothing of any size.. though walking around I saw a couple nice ones) before nature finally had my attention so I had to move out.

I ended up next fishing up above chute 2 where I call tree hole. You know that great big huge tree at the left of the parking lot above the chutes spill. It measures like 18 feet around.. next time you fish.. go look at it. Anyways, I walked down the little path slow and looked around a little. Saw a guy who was further up towards the dam than I and a bunch of people pillaging the chute. Looked toward the water and saw the fish playing around ( not spawners ) and ripped out a little line. First cast with a CrackleBack dry and fish on! It was kind of fun to step out barely with the water over my boot tops and nail one. I caught 3 or 4 more as the dry version before I sunk it under. Caught a few more.. and then I went into a slump. The guy who was above me was catching them.. but I wasnt. He was also getting closer to me. I wonder sometimes if someone gradually wading close to me sort of psych's me out a bit. I am kind of used to fishing alone..

So the guy finally is just about straight across from me when I finally cleared my throat to give him the message. He got it.. but he took his sweet time. I dont know.. maybe I am ranting, but if you start moving into water that you were not fishing 1 minute ago and I am currently fishing that water, I'll clear my throat as a warning sign for you to re-think what your about to do.

OK so the guy eventually really does get out of the way.. and I notice the water kind of pushing a little here and there.. sort of cold bursts of speed. The trout liked these little bursts.. cause after I switched to a scud / midge rig and I started nailing them. Catching them close in.. far out.. it was a blast!

Someone up above me caught a nice fish today.. maybe 20-22 inches. He had like 3 people come over seperately and congratulate him. I would have as well but when I went to ask him about what he caught it on.. he was gone. So not soon after - so was I.

Fished about 4 hours.. maybe casted kinda a little sloppy today I guess, but the day was a 10 anyway.

best fishes - Brian

[jdavis]

Brian, I have never fished a Crackleback. From what I gather you can fish them several different ways. What seems to be the most effective? Thanks.

[MOBass]

Brian, I have never fished a Crackleback. From what I gather you can fish them several different ways. What seems to be the most effective? Thanks.

I fish a crackleback alot and this is the first post I have seen where someone else talks about fishing it a lot. I fish mine dry most of the time but will also let it slip just below the surface and this can produce when the fish are not as aggressive. I have also fished it wet and stripped it back for some really hard strikes. I mostly drift a fly and have a hard time conecting when a fish hits it and I am stripping. There are probably other ways to fish a crackleback too so don't be shy about trying different things with it.

I like to say that I can barely cast, can't read water, and don't know a midge from a gnat but I can catch fish on a crackleback.

[Phil Lilley]

MOBass has it pretty much. I think the diff is in the stripping technique and how you treat your fly/tippet. If you fish it dry only, you greeze the heck out of you tippet and fly and if you don't, you can treat accordingly.

I've had some people show me they use what I would call a crackleback with a bead, stripping it or even dead drifting it with or without an indicator.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

I try to fish my CrackleBacks dry as often as possible. Just like fishing a Griffiths Gnat (which you wouldnt think of sinking it or stripping it in wet). Like was said, you do have to grease your leader down pretty good to keep everything floating right.. but once it sort of wears off.. then its time to start fishing it wet.

The day I posted that - I had some great looking drifts that didnt produce. A fine forward cast that flipped over well.. fly and leader landing out nicely.. fly floating.. still floating.. mend.. mend.. add some line... mend..

At just about the start of a swing.. the fly was not sinking at all.. instead it was skimming the surface while swinging.. and it looked fantastic! I had 2 risers on the swinging fly.. but no takers.

The idea of a bead head C/B boggles my mind. I would tie something else and call it a Funky Armadillo.

tight lines - Brian