Brian, What to Fish With?

[Muleball39]

Brian I will be down on the North Fork from the 17 through the 19 and was wondering what flies to fish with and the setups your using. I grew up in West Plains and played ball with Rory Bridges and he told me to contact you about what the fish were doing this time of year. I know you guys say fish deep but how deep, 1 1/2 the depth of the water? I know there is some pretty deep holes on the North Fork. What about Riffles, how deep with them?

Any info would be very appreciated!

Thanks,

Rodney

[Brian Wise]

Hey Rodney,

I have pretty much 2 typical set ups for the river, a nymphing rig and the other being a swinging/streamer set up. The nymphing rig is set up with a dropper 95% of the time. The lead fly being a stone (be it black, brown, or golden) and a different nymph as a dropper. The droppers vary depending on what bugs are the most prevalent, or just a fly that has been hot for a little while.

Here is a list of my main droppers (in no specific order )

Prince Nymphs #16-12

Hare's Ears #16-12

Pheasant Tails #16-12

Copper Johns (Red, Chartreuse, Dark Green, Copper, and Black) #18-14

Red Fox Squirrel Nymphs #12-14

Micro-Mays #20-16

San Juan Worms

As for the streamers, I pretty much only use 2 unless I am night fishing and they are Slumpbusters and Mohairs.

For wets and soft hackles pretty much any of them are as good as the rest. Wets take on a different approach depending on what bugs are moving but the Soft Hackles I have just gone to about 2 or 3 different styles.

Yes, fish deep. If you are going to use an indicator use one that you can move easily. I can't really say only fish at 1 1/2 times the depth of the water, there are circumstances where that isn't the preferred way to fish certain spots but that is a pretty good starting point.

Since you will be down when it is pretty hot stay in the riffles and the tailouts, look for good, deep tailouts and dropoffs in the riffles....the fish need that oxygen.

Hope this helps.

Brian

[Muleball39]

Brian,

Thanks for the help, I ended up fishing Friday night, Saturday morning and evening and Sunday Morning. I ended up catching 15 in all, but I did hook into a 15 inch rainbow on a #16 Gray Scud of all things. I mostly used a Hares Ear and Copper Johns but for every trout I caught, I ended up catching 5 chubs. I just couldn't keep them off my flies. Will also be down next weekend also, so how was your fishing this weekend and what were you getting hits on.

Rodney

[BrianK]

Rodney-

That sounds like a pretty respectable wknd with hot weather, clear water, moss and floaters galore....

Just curious, what stretch did you fish? did you wade around ROLF or float?

My last 2 visits down have been less than stellar fishing but the NF is always a great river to be on.

Thanks for the report.

bk

[Muleball39]

Brian K.,

I was actually fishing around Sunburst Ranch, I know the owners and most of the cabin owners up and down the river, so I have a lot of good access points. We actually floated on Saturday with 3 other couples and I didn't take the fly rod since my wife was with me and a good thing I didn't since we ate it at the Falls. So the only fishing I did was at Sunburst of a morning and evening. I will be down again this weekend so I will try to fish up around ROLF and McKee Bridge.

Rodney

[Brian Wise]

Good work Muleball. There are scuds in the river for sure, and every once in a while we'll throw an olive scud...can't say it surprises me you caught a pretty nice fish on a grey one though.

Let us know how you do this weekend. I'll be chasing the smallmouth on the Bryant.

Brian

[BrianK]

....in the new boat I presume????

take some pics and catch some fish.

Never can break away from the NFk but always intend to get over to the Bryant.

[Muleball39]

Well fished saturday from 9am to 4pm. We floated from Kelly's Ford to Blair. Out of 4 fishermen we ended up catching 10 trout with another 5 hook ups, I was the only one fly fishing and I caught 5. All of mine were in the 12-14 inch range and were caught on a olive woolly bugger and a black and brown stone fly. Did hook in to a nice rainbow right below Kelly's but after a 5 min fight I lost him. Sunday I went by myself to Kelly's from 11am to 2:30pm and caught 4 rainbows, 3 were in the 12 inch range and the last one was a 17inch bow that would 1.5 to 2 pounds. I love fighing the wild rainbows on the North Fork, that fish probably took 15min to land and I had to walk down the river a good 75 yards to get into some slower water to get him in. I wish I would have had a camera. But I don't carry one anymore down there since I ruined my wifes brand new digital when I fell on some bedrock, that river is so slick. All the fish on Sunday was caught on a grey scud dropped down behind a yellow and orange egg. I was using the egg for an attractor and so I could see were the fish were hitting at. All in all a great weekend on the North Fork.