Meanderings

Stalking trout with dry flies. Floating, wading, and camping along the rivers. Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Winter trips to Mexico.



Sep 20, 2016

The Fork-Part 1. (9-18, 19, 20) (175 cfs and weedy)

Began Sunday morning in my favorite fall run and was met by Mahoganies, Baetis, partly cloudy skies, and south winds almost from the moment I started.  Tough drifts, but I managed a couple nice fish.  A good start, or so I thought.
 
Monday had less wind for the first couple hours, bright sunny skies, and I fished hard into early afternoon.  I got my ass handed to me.  No fish on the Harrop cripples.  No fish on the emergers.  No fish on the Captive Duns.  No fish on the down winged duns.  Oh, I had a couple of charitable takes, but mostly was just repeatedly rejected.  It was time for action.  The fish were up. 
 
That afternoon, I tied some cripples that would hang underneath, where I saw most of the larger fish feeding, on both straight shanks and curve shanks.  Some cdc soft hackles that just seem to work and are sparse and "buggy."  And finally, a Mahogany version of the Harrop PHD.  Four bugs, all in size 16. 
 
This morning I was the only car in the lot at the log jam at 9am!  Fish were up on Mahoganies upon arrival.  First cast with the new curved cripple got a take.  The rest, as they say, is history.  I caught good fish on all four bugs.  The ever-present south wind kicked up about 11 and put the good fishing to an end, but I feel redeemed and revitalized for the next few days.  There's a storm coming, and the winds are forecast to lighten up as well.  A pre-storm day followed by two rainy days.  I've got the bugs.  This could get really good.
 
My place to be in mid-September
 
Right out here.
 
 
 
 
 
Only car in the lot at 9am!
 
 
 
Perfect light overcast
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
To be continued . . .

No comments:

Post a Comment