MSP Report - Dec 30th

[mic]

Temps were ok for Dec.  Sun popped out for maybe 30-45 minutes in the afternoon.  There were two hatches in the afternoon, but the fish weren't really reacting to it.  Most all of the breaks I saw were chasing emergers.  One was a midge hatch.  The second... well I'm not sure.  I could not tell if is was a caddis or mayfly, but I assume it was a mayfly.  It was maybe a hook size or two larger then the midges.  Anyone know what it was or might be?

Fishing was tough.  I had my best luck on mini leach fly (see my post, report before this), but only when it was behind an olive woolly.  I did get a bite or two, but no hookups when behind a black woolly, but it seemed that olive was the trick. Tried two leaches, but no go.  Also, I normally have luck in most pools with this rig, but this day it only worked well below the different falls.  I finished the day with two more swinging a crackleback in riffles.  Talked to multiple folks, and fishing was tough all around.  The only guy I saw doing very well was using a tan and white mop fly.  He was really nice and gave me one to try, but I already decided to change to dry flies and site fish.  I got a couple of refusals and one that nose tapped the fly.  A gent above me got a few on emergers during the hatch, but only got one per fly... as he changed them out.  

A safety note... maybe ten-20 yards upstream of the bridge on the trail side on the trail there is a hole full of leaves.  A guy stepped into and went in shin hi.  I told some of the staff, but not sure if they did anything with it.  

[netboy]

12 hours ago, mic said:

Temps were ok for Dec.  Sun popped out for maybe 30-45 minutes in the afternoon.  There were two hatches in the afternoon, but the fish weren't really reacting to it.  Most all of the breaks I saw were chasing emergers.  One was a midge hatch.  The second... well I'm not sure.  I could not tell if is was a caddis or mayfly, but I assume it was a mayfly.  It was maybe a hook size or two larger then the midges.  Anyone know what it was or might be?

Fishing was tough.  I had my best luck on mini leach fly (see my post, report before this), but only when it was behind an olive woolly.  I did get a bite or two, but no hookups when behind a black woolly, but it seemed that olive was the trick. Tried two leaches, but no go.  Also, I normally have luck in most pools with this rig, but this day it only worked well below the different falls.  I finished the day with two more swinging a crackleback in riffles.  Talked to multiple folks, and fishing was tough all around.  The only guy I saw doing very well was using a tan and white mop fly.  He was really nice and gave me one to try, but I already decided to change to dry flies and site fish.  I got a couple of refusals and one that nose tapped the fly.  A gent above me got a few on emergers during the hatch, but only got one per fly... as he changed them out.  

A safety note... maybe ten-20 yards upstream of the bridge on the trail side on the trail there is a hole full of leaves.  A guy stepped into and went in shin hi.  I told some of the staff, but not sure if they did anything with it.  

Could have been tiny Blue Wing Olives (BWO's). They hatch this time of year here on the White and Norfork.

[mic]

11 hours ago, netboy said:

Could have been tiny Blue Wing Olives (BWO's). They hatch this time of year here on the White and Norfork.

That would make sense.