“Spend the afternoon. You can’t take it with you”. — Annie Dillard
AUTUMN. A HEAVY SKY AND CHANCE of rain. Low wind. Cooler. Much cooler. A possible afternoon appearance of Blue Winged Olives. It all suggests opportunity…
Autumn
Tag Archives: sight fishing
What the river offered
I WAS PURPOSELY IN A TOUGH STRETCH of river. In order to explore it I had to get into the water and deal with the current as the riverside brush/growth in most places was too thick to walk. On top of that it was dark and ominious looking in the woods. Harper my dog could make her way under and through the growth. I could not. So I stayed in the river and forded the quick flow where possible always searching for the path of least resistence. While doing so I looked for a pocket or river edge with slower water and some depth. A place where a trout could hold. I inched forward hoping for such a location and one quality fish. Maybe one that had never been caught before.
I eventually located a likely spot, a possibility, along a bank with some overhanging branches. The drake hatch the day before down river on an easier section occured at 3-3:30 pm. It was about 2:30 pm. I studied the water upstream. It was all fast and turbulent as far as I could see. So I decided to sit, eat my lunch and wait for the hatch. The hatch would tell me if a Cutthroat was in there. I could prospect it with a fly impression right away and possibly entice something to rise but this season I’ve had my fill of that. I was on a regional river that would have the rarest of events: a genuine, solid hatch. A big fly hatch to boot! No, I wouldn’t cast blindly. I’d fish with my eyes, not my arm. I’d wait until the large mayflies started emerging to see if a fish was holding there. If there was one it would rise and glow golden in the warm afternoon light. I’d take advantange of what the river would offer…
When light fades
BROWN TROUT LIKE COVER. They like to be undercover: Under a cut bank; under the shade of a streamside tree; under overhanging tree branches, logs; under a bridge; in the shadow of a big rock; tucked in a tight weed bed channel; etc. These locations mean safety. The river I was recently on has Brown trout but not much cover. It’s a wide open prairie river.
The Brown trout below was spotted feeding on tiny Pale Duns and Emergers, size 18 and 20 in open relatively flat water where the little mayflies were collecting. Seemingly no cover except the low light and rain and drizzle which dimpled the river’s surface. That was its shield of safety. The dark inclement weather above was its cover. Its complete attention to feeding and the low light conditions allowed me to get close to it without being noticed. In bright light the fish would have never been surface feeding in the location it was in.
It was caught on a size 18 Pale Dun. A parachute pattern with a black post which showed-up on the grey surface and differentiated it from the hundreds of other small natural/real Pale Duns. The black post helped me see where it landed and if it was in front of the cycling/feeding trout. It was a rare (for this summer) decent hatch and with all the natural mayflies on the surface (a lot of competition) I was lucky that even with repeated casts, it ate my impression.
Good luck-bad luck
“Bob, I don’t trust air that I can’t see” — A NYC angler on the Ausable river, Adirondack Park, 1983
Walked a good part of the day on a freestone river in heavy wildfire smoke. It’s burning to the west of me. I had tied some quick dry flies for the outing. Mid-afternoon I hooked and chased a beautiful Cutthroat trout a long way downstream. In spite of several obstacles I got lucky and landed it. Shortly after I broke a rod tip. I was okay with that. The tip can be replaced and I had just landed a stunning wild fish in clear fast water. Felt my good luck outweighed my bad luck. The broken rod ended the day as I was an hour upstream from my vehicle. After the thrilling catch the walk back was effortless…
light intensity hatch
“Before I speak, I have something important to say” — Groucho Marx
Generic hatch charts suggest Green Drakes, small and large in size, start to hatch moderately when a stream tempetature reaches 52-54F (11-12C). The sweet spot is noted to be 54-58F (12-15C) for the most prolific hatches. Yet, there is one stream I fish where I see Drakes at 46F (8C). That’s several degrees cooler. I’ve noticed the key to the hatch on this specific flow is direct sunlight flooding the river bed/bottom. Once solar exposure happens it seems the nymphs are “ready to go”; ready to emerge. And it is not because the water temperature increased significantly in sunlight. On a sunny day I have seen it climb only 3 degrees by late afternoon.
So hatches can be river specific. This particular hatch appears synchronized to the valley’s lighting conditions once water temperatures pass 45F (around 8C). Once light floods the river I start looking for drifting Drakes and hopefully a response from the trout. Cloudy cooler days are never as good. Late afternoon mountain shadows seem to squelch the hatch. The trigger appears to be sunlight.
Speaking of hatches…there have been few dry fly opportunities this summer in my region, at least on the dozen or so rivers that I have visited. Bug life has been on the decline for years and this year it seems to have dropped off a cliff; it has “tanked” on most rivers…even on the generally reliable local tailwaters. Hopefully it will improve somewhat before the end of the season. If you are a visiting angler and want to be successful, you’ll have to be versatile in your angling methods.
rain, springtime green, and some river gold
It was their shoulders, the top of their heads or noses that were breaking the surface. Rarely did I see a mouth gulp or sip the Olives or Pale mayflies. They were mainly on Emergers. It made for challenging angling. I stuck to one fly. No dropper. Low riding and surface piercing patterns: a soggy Usual, Klinks, some soft hackles. Many drifts were ignored/ rejected. Luckily many chances and with that some success.
Everything was green. And the warm sun mixed in with the occasional shower/spring storm made for some amazing lighting on the land and water. It was spellbinding. And the daily weather transitions often kick-started or augmented the hatches.
What was suppose to be a fairly long trip turned into a short five day one as my car engine indicator light came on and stayed on. Kind of unnerving. I was advised to put duct tape over the light so as it wouldn’t bother me and to keep on trucking and fishing. In spite of that “sound advice” I decided to make a premature run for home. I didn’t want to get stranded on some muddy back road, with poor or no cell coverage in the middle of nowhere. Frustrating as heck as the river was alive. It was buzzing. And the wind was never an issue. And because of that I got to explore and fish the lower river more.
On the drive home from this place I always say to myself: “It’s the best hatch river I’ve ever been on”. It’s also incredibly beautiful.
Redfish Flies
Redfish flies. There are hundreds of shrimp, crab, and baitfish patterns out there. Not unlike the immense number and variety of trout flies. They come in all sizes, shapes and colors. There are many regional differences and preferences. There are different patterns for murky water vs clear. Fly design can also vary based on the type of bottom the Redfish are feeding on such as Oyster beds; thick dense grass; sparse shoal grass; mud; pothole areas; sand. And there are different head weights depending on the depth an angler will be fishing. Some patterns have rubber legs to create action, some realistic eyes, and so on…
On past trips to a Redfish destination I copied some of the fly patterns used in the region I was visiting. On my most recent trip, I had patterns that I have had some success with and confidence in.
Redfish generally aren’t know to be picky eaters… that is until they are. I’ve had many follow my moving fly until I had no more fly line to strip and was down to my leader. I’m sure clear water feeding fish are harder to dupe than fish in cloudy, muddy water; same with calm vs choppy water; light conditions can be a factor such as the quality of the light (brightness) or the angle of the Sun’s rays; food presence or lack of can influence their feeding behavior; as does Tide phase and water temperature, which can change quickly in the ultra shallow bay that I fish; competition from other Redfish (those searching and feeding in schools vs solitary fish) influence feeding; as well as innumerable other factors that I’m simply not aware of. It’s all part of Nature’s mystery. And it’s the mystery that keeps you coming back.
On rare calm mornings in the super transparent shallows slow moving Redfish and stationary feeders (head down) often wouldn’t eat my larger flies or bulky ones. Small and sparse flies seemed best along with soft landings and careful wading. Some of those fish seemed focused on small crabs.
When I had to deal with high wind on the flats (most days) I found patterns tied with silly legs often got fouled on the hook. On those days I clipped the legs off. Shrimp eyes that I made with melted monofilament and that protruded slightly from the shrimp body and hook bend, often picked up shoal grass filaments/ blades dislodged from the shallows by fierce wind even though most flies that I tied had preventative weed guards. So I nipped the eyes off too. A fly with a weed strand (s) hitch-hiking on it was always rejected.
So as the trip progressed I kept my tied shrimp patterns simple. Most of the fish I caught were on two similar flies (see photo): Both had a body of EP fibers, color tan, which in the water look translucent as advertised by the product maker ( EP: Enrico Puglisi Flies); a few strands of crystal flash were added; some Sharpie drawn bars on the side of the EP body; at the head of the fly behind the hook eye I dubbed in some golden retriever hair (endless supply from Harper) to match the EP body; then some light weight as I was fishing knee to thigh deep water such as small or medium bead chain, sometimes a large size in wind ruffled water. On a couple of flies I wrapped some hackle at the head (Seaducer style) of the fly to try and soften the landing in the shallows. I don’t know if it really made a difference but I caught some of my best Reds on it. Both are very easy, quick ties. Just what you want when you are on the road/ travelling.
Reds on the Sand
REDFISH, AKA: Red Drum, Spot-Tail, Reds.
I HIKE THE SAND DUNES TOWARDS THE BAY IN THE MORNINGS with a fly rod, fly box, some leader material, nippers and a knapsack with lunch and water for the day, and most importantly optimism. My equipment is basic. It’s pretty much the same as when I fish for trout except the rod I’m using is slightly heavier, a saltwater 7 weight. I’m on a barrier island along the Gulf of Mexico. I’m here searching for Redfish on the clear sandy saltwater flats on the bayside of the island. I’m fishing on foot in knee deep water. It’s my 6th trip to the region.
It’s Winter Solstice time and daylight is brief. The sun arcs low, close to the horizon. With the short days angling time and opportunity pass quickly. Most days are warm but conditions are often variable. With the short-lived days and fickle maritime weather it can make sight-fishing challenging, especially when it gets cloudy and windy. The worst is when a big blow from the north blasts through.
The best time to spot a Redfish on the sand flats is when the light is good and when there is a significant tide. Moving water, in or out, always seems good. With it Sheepshead, Sea Trout and baitfish like Mullet, Lady fish and small Silverside minnows show up. And Redfish often tag along. That’s when the sand flats come alive. That’s when pelicans and other bird life begin working the water. That’s when you see Mullet jumping. That’s when you see schools of Ladyfish pushing water, their sides reflecting the sunlight on those rare perfect days. That’s when the bay is full of activity and energy. That’s when you want to be out there wading the knee deep water, hopefully standing right in the middle of it all. Stand still long enough and you end up becoming part of it, and with the sun fully illuminating the shallows you can see everything. It’s like looking into an aquarium and just as mesmerizing. That’s when you have your best chance to spot a good one.
When Redfish do make an appearance they are usually on the move. When they prowl the shallows they are always alert; always hypervigilant. Spot one and you’ve got to be quick and fairly accurate with your cast. You’ve just seconds to react. And you rarely get a second chance with the same fish on the flats. Make a casting mistake and it is gone. If it sees you it’s Adios!
As quickly as fish come in on the sand flats they can disappear. Sometimes they don’t show-up but that’s rare. There are usually a few that pass through at some point in the day. It’s a big bay that I’m fishing and fish move around and there are no guarantees that they will visit the area that I choose to wade. Successful sight-fishing here is a commitment. It’s always a challenge. You have to put in your time and stay focused and alert when searching. Concentration is essential. Spotting fish in a variety of conditions is a skill. Like anything, you get better at it the more you do it. You have to believe the Reds are out there and that at some point they will come in to feed on the crustaceans and small baitfish that inhabit the sand flats. I know that if keep showing-up, I will cross paths…
Postscript
Photographing fish alone with my phone (in a plastic waterproof sleeve, high humidity) while standing in water several hundred yards out in a windy bay is always challenging and with many images the clarity is not always the best.
All Redfish landed were released.
Road trip: Bwo’s, Blue Jays and Bat flips
“The Blue Jays won the bat flip contest hands down. Some of the best ones I’ve seen since Jose Bautista was at the plate. They showed-up, stood tall, faced the payroll Goliaths of the league and slugged it out inning by inning…best attitude, team spirit, comradery and most enthusiastic, loud and appreciative fans…all players winners in my mind…the most entertaining team I’ve seen in a long time “. — Bob
Road trip. Fishing, not Baseball. Last one for the trout season. It’s been sunny and blowing for weeks along the eastern slopes. The two conditions often go together in Autumn. The upcoming weather prediction was for 2 or 3 days of calm and overcast skies. A perfect set-up for a late season Blue Winged Olive (BWO) hatch. So I decided to take advantage of the incoming low front and drove due south in full sun and high wind, and woke up next morning under a heavy sky and best of all calm.
The riverside campground where I stayed in mid-canyon was empty. Harper was left off leash as there was no one around to bother. She chased squirrels and some deer, and nosed the fire pits. Fortunately no skunks showed up when it got dark. Most mornings it was 32f or slightly above. In the afternoon it was 40s or low 50s f. There were a few anglers around and some floaters. The fly shops were open but quiet. A great time to look at angling stuff. Local restaurants were closed.
The night is long at this time of year and daylight short, and dry fly opportunities brief. One or two hours in the afternoon, maybe slightly more, depending on the intensity of the hatch. My first day I experienced a weak hatch. The second day it drizzled a bit, was colder and the sky ominous looking. The hatch was strong. The river section I was on came alive, and I connected with size 18 and 20 parachute BWO dries. Rising trout on November 4th. It was a good day. So good I flipped my fly rod in the air.
Some images…
Road trip images
trout on dries 