Ive mentioned before that I am new to fly fishing this year. I started in Feb or so. The first couple of times were tough since I am learning almost exclusively from reading BFT and visiting every fly shop within fifty miles of Salt Lake. I am really enjoying it and I am able to go at least a couple of times a week. Because I am able to fish pretty often I figured out a way to become fairly successful. I have found four or five spots on the lower Provo and four or five spots on the lower Weber where I am able to catch fish (until recently between five and fifteen in a couple of hours) nothing exceptional I know but usually not worried about a skunk.
The problem is, since the water has risen and the flows have increased on my two favorite rivers I have settled back into catching no more than two fish and often less. I am assuming I need to try a different technique, flys, and spots/rivers until the flows get back to where they were a few weeks ago. I am assuming they will go back but I honestly have no idea.
Can anyone tell me what I should try now and what I should expect in the summer and fall?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
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me personally i love high water. drives folks to the local lakes. ill take my 7 weight out and throw gigantic streamers. if you want to use nymphs use something huge as a stimulator, and alot of weight.
you can also get into still water fishing which is a blast:
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when the fall comes, i like to walk the grassy banks with hoppers!
when the weber was stained soemthing terrible a couple of months ago i still fished it and did quiet well. alot less people, new spots created by the high water, and a chance to zip big streamers past fish that were alot less spooked because they could easily hide.
hope this kinda helps
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I don't have a lot more experience then you and I am sure someone will have some better advise but here's my 2 cents..
If you want to keep fishing the same spots try throwing streamers or larger flies with more weight but fishing still probably won't that great in until the run off calms down. even after the "run off " rivers that are relied on of irrigation will still usually run high most of the summer. Try fishing higher elevations where the flows are more consistent or try some lakes or ponds. I finally broke down and bought a pontoon. Now I am learning to fish for bass and panfish in the summer and really enjoying it.
Also keep an eye on the flows of your favorite rivers on USGS website. The flows can suddenly drop for a few days here and there.
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Quote:me personally i love high water. drives folks to the local lakes
Doh!!! I guess we were typing at the same time.. i am apparently one of the suckers that runs to the nearest lake..HAHA!
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I too love HIGH "unfishable water- I never do AS good, but in the right sections, it limits the places a fish can go to get out of the current. It also limits my ability to get a fly in their face from across the stream...and let's not kid ourselves, utah only has 1 RIVER...the Green...the rest are, well, streams....anywho-
The guys are right- streamers can work well. I'll continue to nymph, but I'll add size to the offering. I tie a scud/sowbug/fish catching thing in a size 10...it looks like something they eat only BIGGER, and in heavier flows, they get less of a good look at it. We also tie a fly we call 5-of-a-kind...based on a fly called a royal flush- ...what beats a royal flush??? We tie it on a size 8 or 10, but we never even try it until the water is high.
I guess my(our) point being...you're probably gonna catch less fish- don't give up on the water, the fish are still there, they still have to eat...
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The biggest change you need to make is not the fly size and may not be the fly patterns. Your rigging has to change with the water conditions,faster,deeper water requires longer leader and heavier weights in order to put your fly in their feeding zone.
Change your fly patterns if the bug life has changed. Bead head flys are more popular this time of year to help the flys drop,also a good time of year for weighted flys.
If you are not getting it in their face it will not matter what pattern you have on. Remember a fish does not exert more energy than it has to to eat a bug, so it can sit in its position and wait for the nymphs to wash into its mouth.
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