Baptist - Cedargrove Float 3/23

[MattS]

Despite the far from perfect conditions on Sunday, decided to try my luck on the current. Never floated this before, and wasn't planning on fishing too hard because I wanted to get some good notes about the float. Arrived at Jadwin Canoe Rental at about 8:30, and after they shuttled me it was about 9:15. (BTW, the people are Jadwin are great and more than happy to help me despite me being the only floater that day) Never got above 45 all day so it was pretty chilly in the beginning. Decided to rig my 3 weight with a size 16 pheasant tail. Lots of anglers and cars at Baptist, so fished the first stretch directly down from Baptist and caught a fish on the very end before the first skinny riffle. In the riffle, I hooked up with another one, but immediately lost it and for some reason this absolutely crushed my heart and will. I didn't even break off, the hook just came lose and I absolutely lost it. I don't know if I was tired or just in a bad mood, but I was heated.

So after that event, I decided to get some paddling done, and ended up making my next stop just after Ashley Creek. Surprisingly, there was hardly any surface activity. I waded a whole lot for a while without paddling and threw almost every fly I had without getting a single take. All my stonefly patterns, a couple of small streamers, midges, and then I (sorta) gave up. However, there was one fly I hadn't tried. The famous current river egg pattern. I felt kinda guilty after I landed a fish on my first cast and thought my luck had changed. Couldn't have been more wrong. Countless knots, breakoffs, and snags followed and so did retrying nymphs and midges. Still nothing but frustration. Paddled a little more and came across a spot where the river splits in two sides, the right side with a huge bluff. looked like some really deep holes so I tossed an egg in the foam line and pulled out a dink. Then noticed some black mayflies coming off so tried a dry and by the time I tied on there were no more fish rising. Once again disappointed.

So a fisherman and a dog and talked to him a bit and learned that I was only about halfway to the take out and it was about 3 so I needed to do some more paddling. Put about three miles down without fishing and as I went through a skinny run, noticed a rod tip sticking out of the water. Went back and grabbed it and it was a Thompson/Powell 4 Weight. Took it home, so if you know who it belongs to, I'd be happy to mail it. Feels pretty nice but I can't find this rod online anywhere?

Decided to get out and fish with the rod and put an egg on because that's the only thing I had confidence in at this point. Immediately pulled out three really hard fighting 'bows. The sun was getting lower and lower so decided to paddle a little more and figured I was almost to the take out when I saw a spot similar to the previous hole. After a few casts, pulled out a shiner or some weird chub. Then I got a real nice take and the fish took off and leaped three times in the air. Fought a nice 18 inch rainbow and finally got her in after a hell of a fight. Then a few casts later, another good take this time less of a fight but a 16 inch rainbow from nearly the same drift. Called it a day after this guy and paddled the last leg to Cedargrove.

This was one of my favorite trips I have ever taken. The float itself was enough to make me happy in the end. It had its ups and downs but I really needed to get out. Still feel guilty about the egg catching most my fish, but I needed to get back into the groove. Finished with 8 fish, all rainbows, and only two other anglers seen after I got away from Baptist. Just a bad day turned out beautiful.

By the way, I use this site a ton, and use a lot of info, so expect more reports and info from this Guy!

thanks,

MattS

[Gavin]

One of my favorites...sometimes it takes me several days...Glad you had a good time.

[MattS]

One of my favorites...sometimes it takes me several days...Glad you had a good time.

For sure going to take two days to float this next time, I skipped over way to many good spots

[ness]

Nice report MattS.

Never heard of a Thompson Powell but I have heard of Thompson & Thompson and Powell rods. Not sure what you've got.

[salmotrutta]

The folks at Jadwin Canoe are very nice. I have had them shuttle me in late fall many times and I was their only client of the day. On some bad days on the Current, when nothing seemed to work, putting on the right colored egg will never fail. Hooked some of my largest 20+" Browns with the egg. It's a solid go to when things get slow.

[ozark trout fisher]

Nice report. I know the feeling where float-fishing can get awfully frustrating until you get into the rhythm of things. Trying to manage a canoe/kayak and a fly rod simultaneously is a match made in hell. But once you get into it (or, in some of my own cases, just give up on the fishing and decide to enjoy the river), then it's awesome.

No worries on the egg pattern: heck, I need an awfully good reason to use much of anything else on the Current....If there's a hatch I'll fish to that because I love catching them on dries-but otherwise it's probably an egg pattern on the end of my tippet.

I plan to head down there in a couple of days. Haven't decided yet if I'm going to take the kayak out for the Baptist-Cedar run or just wade fish. Probably the latter. But either way I can't wait.