Night Time Report

[mbkwrh]

What a great few weeks it has been low flows at night has created ample fishing opportunities, and as you all know Night Time Is The Right Time.  We have been floating a lot and with my real gig,  I have not had time to post anything.  So this a report covers about 3 or so weeks of fishing the White   at  least once or twice a week, we have been launching the boats around dark and fishing it hard for about 4-5 hours.  I don't have any place to stay so I have been just turning and burning so I am home in time to get my daughters to school.

We have been chunking mice and big streamers when the fish won't eat on top we go down below and feed them. For the most part water has been between 7mw and 35mw,  I feel the fishing is better between 35 and 50mw though. Just swing and strip it in and boom they will tell you when they are ready to eat, also on the mouse when they come up and miss it just let the fly sit don't move it the fish is still there around it do a couple of small strips and usually they will attack it again but this time they will connect. 

Some nights we are catching a lot of fish and some nights we don't catch very many worst night I have had so far is 1 fish best night is 13.  You might be saying that's not very many either way, however they are all  Browns and most nights they are all over 20 inches.  To   me   fishing for Browns at night is the only way to go as that is when they are doing there thing and feeding most big fish are nocturnal and only will feed at night. 

When fishing the mouse it is very important to cast it out as far as you can the further the better off you are I will tend to have a sore shoulder the next   day as I am trying to carry as much line as possible 70-80 feet every cast on a 7 wt.  I am using floating line along with about 10 foot of straight 20 pound Seagar fluorocarbon. Let it swing in the current and then when it is straight start stripping 90% of the time when the fish hits it will be at the end of the swing.  However that other 10% will follow it right up to the boat and attack it within 15 foot of the boat.

Here are some of the Mice that we throw

Pat Choen Deer Hair Mouse tied by the man the myth and legend of spinning and stacking deer hair Pat Choen

Master Splinter  tied by me

Mercers Lemming tied by Myself which is no fun tying flies by your self

This is a variation of a Tommy Lynch White Bellied Mouse tied By Lisa Bellue

There is some truth to my statement that "Night Time is the Right Time" the river it self is not getting hammered by boats or fisherman most nights either on Taney or the White we are the only boats on the water, which will lead to some  great fishing.  Most nights all we only catch are Browns and good quality healthy fish ones that like to fight and are full of energy. I Don't ever worry about the moon phases never have never will,  as I just fish when I can but I will say that lately the new moon phase and the dark nights when the moon is up during the day have produced some of the best nights.   The  cool thing about the night time mouse bite is that you can actually here and see the fish most of the time eating it.  There is one spot on the river that there is enough ambient light pitched in with the full moon that you can actually see the fish charging forward after the mouse, it looks like a baby shark coming after it, pretty cool if you have ever witnessed  it you know what I am talking about.

As far as streamer fishing we have been using a few articulated flies Kelly Gallup's Fat Head and Tommy Lynch's Drunk and Disorderly  have proven to be the top fish catchers.  when we fish these again we are fishing 7 to 8wt rods with floating lines if the flows are right and I am still just using straight fluorocarbon 15- 20 pound test. If the water is up say 2 units I will use a full sink line type 4 or 5 just depends on the flows on what I will use.  the last few weeks it has been a floating line kind of nights.

Lisa and Jeremy

Just me showing I still have rowing skills after not owning a drift boat for about 6 years

and again me doing nothing at 4am with my good buddy John Holsten

  

Here are a few fish Pictures

Brown caught on the Tommy Lynch Variation Tied by Lisa Bellue

Lisa Bellue with a nice brown caught on a Kelly Gallup Fat Head

We have caught several good fish over the last 2-3 weeks on the White and if you want to catch a good numbers of Browns in one night you need to go down and do it. I sold my drift boat 6 years ago so I am blessed to have good friends at Fly's & Guides and Straight Out Of Cotter that have helped me make it back to the river floating at night if you want to go you should give them a call and they would be more than happy to row you down the river to catch a big brown at night. 

Lots of stuff to talk about and I have ran out of time to type any more so hope you enjoy this read and till next time look me up on face book at "Up Sauce Creek Fly Fishing & Custom Flies".

Tight Lines

Michael

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[netboy]

Those are some great fish and excellent information on how to do it.

I've never tried night fishing but it sure looks like that is the time for browns. 

[Johnsfolly]

Just awesome information on the baits and techniques. Thanks!

Great photos and awesome looking fish Congrats!

[Quillback]

Thanks for posting, sure looks like fun!

[JestersHK]

Thanks mbkwrh for another great report!  Those are some great looking fish to boot!  I am a creature of the night as well, and totally get the moment when the water is flat like glass and you see that big V pushing towards your lure, or hear the splash in the fog on top and set the hook.  Gets the blood pumping for sure.

Thanks for sharing, hopefully one of these nights our paths will cross.

[Gavin]

Looks like fun! Thanks for the report.