Fishing Report 7/27-7/30

[msubobcats]

Started late Friday afternoon, once I got to the park, at the head of the spring. Caught one on crackleback, dry float. Saturday found me exploring new territory, fishing upstream from the spillway/dam. Caught one on crackleback in the morning, and threw everything in the box the rest of the morning. Struggled. I saw a guy, fishing I think with a Montauk Special, on his flyfod. It was white with a spinner on it, but I don't think it was a roostertail or anything similar. Anyway, I saw this guy catch at least 20 in a hour. He tore em up. (I caught two more in the afternoon (4pm) on cracklebacks, same area.)

Canoed the Current on Sunday, so no park fishing.

Monday, caught 2 in the morning during the hatch on trico's. Had a lot of strikes on mike mohair, but the fish were just smacking the fly. Spoke with a bunch of people who had the same problem. It was great fishing on monday above the spillway...saw four people there the whole morning.

Special thanks to the guy from Hannibal who shared his version on a crackleback on Saturday afternoon. A refreshing pleasure to meet nice folks on the river.

Go Cats

[hfdhoosier]

Thanks for the report. I hope to get to Montauk again soon. Sometimes the fishing can be a bit tough. Cracklebacks are a great fly, an older gentleman gave one to my wife years back while she was fishing at Montauk. She tied it on and she started catching fish left and right. I then had to learn how to tie them. I usually have good luck with zebra midge (red body with copper wire, and black body with copper wire)sizes 18 and 20. The last time I was there I had the same problem with the fish just bumping my fly. The small zebra midge solved that problem. I need to get back there I am getting the itch. Keep the good reports coming.

HFDHOOSIER

[3wt]

If you weren't haveing much luck with the Mohair, there probably wasn't much luck to be had. Hopefully you liked what you saw at Montauk, but it sounds like you kind of missed the best areas...So the upside is that there is some really cool stream to fish further upstream for next time. I really don't like the dam/spillway area. Just too slow of water.

It's interesting to hear that the zebra midges work well. I've never tried or heard that they work well at Montauk...it's not what I would normally call midge water, but I guess nobody's told the fish that. I'll have to tie some up for next time (since they're a pretty darn easy tie.) Do you just drift 'em in the film? as a dropper? weight? indicator?

We should start a thread with a list and recipes for all of our favorite producing Montauk/Current river flies...I like finding out that people have a proven producer that I would never have tried.

[hfdhoosier]

3wt,

I think that is a great idea about posting flies that work at Montauk. Some of them are already in the fly tying forum with step by step tying directions. I just float the zebra midges under a strike indicator, I add weight in faster water but in slower water the beadhead provides enough weight. I vary the depth, usually the same depth as the fish, I usually get more strikes close to the bottom. The shaded stretch between Hudsons corner and the huge rock up from the dam is a good spot for the midges. I generally fish:

Copper johns: copper,green,red,chartreuse,white

Zebra midge: red.black

White thread jig

Beadhead Pheasant tail nymph

Mohair leech: olive,brown,black

Cracklebacks: olive,ginger,furnace

I wrap pearl, gold, or red tinsel up the hook shank and then wrap hackle

forward and tie off, I do not use peacock herl as a dorsal rib.

Elk hair caddis: I use deer hair since I have deer hair from hunting

Adams dry fly

Mosquito dry fly

Glo ball egg patterns: on a lead jig head hook,mcflyfoam in approx 15 colors

These usually will do the trick. I am still learning alot about trout fishing and look forward to all input you guys offer. Hope this helps some of you guys out. Most ofthese flies were introduced to me by kind flyfishers on the river at Montauk. Thats what I love about flyfishing, most of the people are willing to share their secrets and most of the time will even give you a fly or two to try out. I always try to return the favor by sharing it with someone else. Good fishing till then.

HFDHOOSIER

[BrowningFisherman]

I use the good ole fashioned chamois fly, peacock nymphs, Prince nymphs, bh grey scud, white floss minijig and pheasent tail nymph. I have yet to have luck with cracklebacks at Montauk however they are easily one of my top 3 flies at Bennett including one "secret" crackleback that I tie. My biggest problem with cracklebacks and woolies alike is finding water wide enough to strip them the way I am used to the best. I am looking forward to trying some zebra midges on my next trip down.

Go Tigers!

[3wt]

Amen to the crackleback comment. I think the water is fine for them, but with the crowds, you'ld be swinging line where most people are standing.

I have the same problem with fishing streamers and soft hackles too. I like to find spots with fewer people, or use them close to the end buzzer when the stream is a little more open.

I like:

Olive Mohairs size 10, tied with regular old leech yarn, heavily weighted with 2 strands of green krystal flash on each side of the tail.

San Juan worms (usually just red)

Soft Hackles, Olive, Hare's Ear (I'm starting to expand the color selection here)

Cracklebacks tied the traditional way with dubbed bodies (yellow or green) and the peacock rib (not sure this does anything) - Brown or Grizzley hackle

Flymphs, Olive, PMDish, and Little Black

White duns (generic dries I tie...for the Trico hatch, nothing like a trico, but they seem to catch more...look kind of like a cream midge)

PMD's, BWO's in various dress styles, only for when the hatch is right.

Elk hairs of course

Caddis dry fly

Olive maribou mini-leech (hit or miss with this one)

Now for the newer items, starting to show promise, but I wouldn't say they are proven yet...stay posted

Black Matuka

Olive Pine Squirrel Sculpin

Olive BH woolybugger

Something I'm calling a pine squirrel matuka...I'll elaborate later if this one turns out to be good)

That's kind of my arsenal. It would be coold to take some picture to go along with some of these. A fly that you have never seen is had to tie from a description...I leave that for another day...

[msubobcats]

If you weren't haveing much luck with the Mohair, there probably wasn't much luck to be had. Hopefully you liked what you saw at Montauk, but it sounds like you kind of missed the best areas...So the upside is that there is some really cool stream to fish further upstream for next time. I really don't like the dam/spillway area. Just too slow of water.

It's interesting to hear that the zebra midges work well. I've never tried or heard that they work well at Montauk...it's not what I would normally call midge water, but I guess nobody's told the fish that. I'll have to tie some up for next time (since they're a pretty darn easy tie.) Do you just drift 'em in the film? as a dropper? weight? indicator?

We should start a thread with a list and recipes for all of our favorite producing Montauk/Current river flies...I like finding out that people have a proven producer that I would never have tried.

Should I head farther upstream from the spillway next time? Is there swifter water farther up? How far? How do you get there? Why is the sky blue?

Those questions should keep you busy for a few...Thanks for the help.

Not sure when I'll get back, but the wife and I loved the park. (That is, up until new neighbors moved in to the site next to us on Monday morning and started smoking THC out in plain sight. Had to call the cops on that one...I HATE jackasses)

Go Cats

[3wt]

Stupid potheads. It's rare, but sometimes you get the partier morons...but usually it's just us early to bed - early to rise crazies.

There's quite a bit of stream up from the spillway. I wouldn't start there though. I actually avoid the spillway/dam area altogether. Too wide and flat. The upper stram is more swift current with a variety of riffles, pools, undercuts, pockest, ect.

It's all "fly only" area, so that means only artificial, 1-hook, no plastic.

I like to use the parking lot up by the catch and release area (pass up all of the slow deep holes, drive until the do not enter sign - you'll park by the main hatchery building or the naturalists office). Walk down the road, over the bridge; take first right (where the road actually splits) and you'll see the stream up ahead. My favorite spots are from this point up to the spring, there are 3 or 4 easy access points if you follow the road that runs along the stream. Get in anywhere and start exploring, all is very wadeable. You'll feel like you're out in the woods, not real parking lots or traffic roads - trees on both sides, very pretty, tranquil when the crowds are down. Keep your eyes open in this stretch, you'll end up passing up lot's of trout if you just wade from spot to spot...if you think there's no fish in any given section, you're probably wrong, give it a try anyway.

alternately, take the spring road (accross from the lodge) and park at either of the lots. The last one will be the spring.