11-14-2011, 07:29 AM
I decided to fish one of my favorite new found streams on Thursday since the weather was so nice. I had high hopes as I had two nice cutts get off in the first run, one even took a stimulator. The next run I missed a couple more. I was beginning to feel cursed, and then the fishing slowed down. I picked up some cutts here and there. They were mostly a pretty, dark coloration.[inline "cutt small.JPG"][inline "cutt 2 small.JPG"]
I also coaxed a decent brown to come up and take a stimmy. [inline "brown small.JPG"]
Part of the problem was that I was encountering spawning browns, but many were tucked up in the brush at the tail ends of the runs, and they would spook and ruin the rest of the run. I bypassed a large channelized stretch and finally got to where I fished it before. The last 10 minutes before I had to leave for work I scored 6 for a total of 11. Most of these were colorful browns and they all took a black prince nymph. [inline "brown 2 small.JPG"]
The next day I decided to try The Blacksmith Fork. I started at a favorite run, but the water was higher than usual. I was thinking about leaving and trying a smaller stream when I spotted a fish up against the bank in the shallows. I got my fly in place and it turned and sucked in my nymph. [inline "whitie small.JPG"]
Okay, not a glamor species, but I was actually having a strange craving for catching these ugly buggers. A couple of casts later I caught a better one that I had to chase downstream a bit.[inline "whitie 2 small.JPG"]
The next cast brought a pretty little cutthroat. [inline "cutt small 11.JPG"]
I worked up to the next run, but it was a bit too fast and deep for my liking. I was still thinking about leaving, but I decided to see what was around the bend. It turned out that the high water this year had changed things up a bit, and areas that weren't fishy before now were. I worked my way along catching some browns and whities, [inline "brown small 11.JPG"]
several even came up for a stimulator. With about 30 minutes left before I had to go, I happened upon a large eddie full of trout feeding on midges. I ended up hunkering down on this spot the rest of the day. I missed several nice fish, but I caught probably a dozen out of that stretch. A couple hit the stimmy, but most took the black prince. When things slowed down I switched to a purple and peacock prince and caught a few more. Then I tried a green Copper John and caught a whitefish. I could still see some decent fish rising, so I dug around for an adult midge pattern. I didn't have much to choose from (I remedied that this weekend), but I found a Griffith's Gnat and tied it on. I got some refusals before this guy finally slurped it down. [inline "brown 2 small 11.JPG"]
I couldn't get any more fish to commit, but I noticed a pod of whities working the riffle above me. I switched back to a dry dropper and caught one and missed another on the green Copper John. [inline "whitie 3 small.JPG"]
It was time to leave, but I caught one more brown while working upstream to a spot where I could get to the road again. I ended up with 13 browns, 7 whitefish and 2 cutthroat in about 2.5 hours. I think I just might return tomorrow.
[signature]
I also coaxed a decent brown to come up and take a stimmy. [inline "brown small.JPG"]
Part of the problem was that I was encountering spawning browns, but many were tucked up in the brush at the tail ends of the runs, and they would spook and ruin the rest of the run. I bypassed a large channelized stretch and finally got to where I fished it before. The last 10 minutes before I had to leave for work I scored 6 for a total of 11. Most of these were colorful browns and they all took a black prince nymph. [inline "brown 2 small.JPG"]
The next day I decided to try The Blacksmith Fork. I started at a favorite run, but the water was higher than usual. I was thinking about leaving and trying a smaller stream when I spotted a fish up against the bank in the shallows. I got my fly in place and it turned and sucked in my nymph. [inline "whitie small.JPG"]
Okay, not a glamor species, but I was actually having a strange craving for catching these ugly buggers. A couple of casts later I caught a better one that I had to chase downstream a bit.[inline "whitie 2 small.JPG"]
The next cast brought a pretty little cutthroat. [inline "cutt small 11.JPG"]
I worked up to the next run, but it was a bit too fast and deep for my liking. I was still thinking about leaving, but I decided to see what was around the bend. It turned out that the high water this year had changed things up a bit, and areas that weren't fishy before now were. I worked my way along catching some browns and whities, [inline "brown small 11.JPG"]
several even came up for a stimulator. With about 30 minutes left before I had to go, I happened upon a large eddie full of trout feeding on midges. I ended up hunkering down on this spot the rest of the day. I missed several nice fish, but I caught probably a dozen out of that stretch. A couple hit the stimmy, but most took the black prince. When things slowed down I switched to a purple and peacock prince and caught a few more. Then I tried a green Copper John and caught a whitefish. I could still see some decent fish rising, so I dug around for an adult midge pattern. I didn't have much to choose from (I remedied that this weekend), but I found a Griffith's Gnat and tied it on. I got some refusals before this guy finally slurped it down. [inline "brown 2 small 11.JPG"]
I couldn't get any more fish to commit, but I noticed a pod of whities working the riffle above me. I switched back to a dry dropper and caught one and missed another on the green Copper John. [inline "whitie 3 small.JPG"]
It was time to leave, but I caught one more brown while working upstream to a spot where I could get to the road again. I ended up with 13 browns, 7 whitefish and 2 cutthroat in about 2.5 hours. I think I just might return tomorrow.
[signature]