Reflections

Well, it has to come to an end.  I'm actually a little fished-out.  Really!  Its been one of the better fall swings in a while though.  The weather worked out well.  Being in the right place at the right time worked out for the most part too. 

I didn't get enough (any) Henry's Fork, but that seems to be a river in trouble this year.  Or I just never hit it right except for that Brown Drake madness a few evenings in June.  I really needed more Livingston this fall.  I'd hoped that one magic day on Armstrong's was a precursor to several more there and on Depuy's.  The weather and hatches took me elsewhere.  All those days on the MO during both visits were, well, pretty damn predictably good.  I needed me a bunch of MO.  The Beav. was still high, and so full of weeds after my weedy week on the MO that it just wasn't appealing.  Neither was the snow and wind.  I really hit the jackpot in central Idaho.  Silver, the O, and the Boise were a great trifecta in mostly gorgeous weather.  Each only a couple hours apart, and greatly different from one another so to provide change. The toughest river/creek that I know of, the "best brown trout river in America," (??), and the new-to-me tail water that provided a great end to a great 5-weeks, minus that little detour home I had to make right in the middle.  Even that was a nice break except for the travel back and forth.

I don't know how this daily posting thing got going.  I think it was when I was bouncing river to river daily for a few days.  Each stop could do with one post for the entire stay instead of nightly.  But hey, the nights and early mornings are not for fishing in October.

I have given the thread furled leaders a true test on all the waters this month.  I'm sold.  They float all day, and are supple as hell from the fly line to the tippet.  I can turn over 6 to 8 feet of 5x or 6x with ease,  yet still deliver the fly with a reach mend or slack line cast for long drifts.  When the wind comes up, I can still punch the tippet out there like never before.  One leader, one tippet.  Love the simplicity and consistency of one leader.  That translates into accuracy, accuracy, accuracy.  The myth of spraying water is just that.  The leader did not spook fish on Silver Creek, the Fork, in Livingston, or anywhere.  I've had a few from Flygoddess sitting around for several years.  Not anymore, they're on the lines now.  It took a couple days to get used to them, but I don't see myself going back.

This whole season, I fished my two new Ross Colorado LT's almost exclusively.  They passed each and every test to perfection.  The fixed click and pawl setting is just perfect for tippets both light and heavy, on the big rivers and small creeks. That large arbor makes retrieving line so much quicker and easier.  I don't even worry if I get down to a little backing anymore, it reels right back up quick!  And they're so light.  Does an ounce make a difference?  I can sure feel it.  And the sound is as sweet as the Hardy.  So, I will keep one of my Hardy LRH's and Featherweights because they're all I've used since the early 80's, and it would be sacreligious and just plain wrong to not own one of each, but the rest will be sold with the proceeds put toward another Colorado LT.  I'm that sold on these too.

And that South Fork of the Boise River below Anderson Ranch Dam.  Man.  Half-way between Silver and the Owyhee, cell service for a mile or so below the dam (by some miracle), free camping in the canyon or up on top of the rim, Mountain Home 30 minutes away with showers and anything else needed, clear water, pig rainbows, and bugs all the days I was there.  Everyone I encountered was friendly and asked where I was planning to fish so they could fish well above or below me.  Probably not normal, but I was impressed.  Maybe the time of year and indicative of those that fall brings to the river. 

I have more observations and lessons from this fall, and this season, that I'll get to over the winter.  One thing I've noticed while looking at my thousands of dry flies is that there's only a few different mayfly patterns.  How many exactly?  I have my answer, and might organize by boxes accordingly.  When I go to change flies, I usually look for a different style, much more often than a size or color change.

So I'm sad to see the season go, but again its a damn good thing I have Campeche to look forward to on the drive back, and once I get home.  Not too much time for reflection, or depression because another western trout season is over.  I really do need a change from just casting a dry to another big head.  Some rolling silver, a quick double-haul, here he comes, strip-strip-strip, the big eat, a series of strip-sets, and silver flying all up out of the water.  Hell yes.  Break out the 50 lb tippet!

More SFB

This place has quickly grown on me, and I've only really fished about 1/2 mile of it!  The hatch seems to be up near the dam, but that's where I fished the prime times, down to the "Village." The river transitions quickly from spring-creek looking to more cobblestone.  Wading is slippery.  Madison/Big Hole like, only smaller cobble.  Caddis, PMD's, Baetis, and midges.  Seen fish eat 'em all.  This will become a regular fall stop, when flows drop and winter's grip hits further north and east.  It still looks and feels like fall.  Summer at times.   I could fish here a week, easy.  There's over 10 miles along the riverside road, most of which I didn't even look at.  There were enough fish up just up and down from my pullout for a whole day. 

From 1300 feet up

The upper mile has a lot of anchored weeds

Kinda Ranch lookin'

Just before noon, and there are still runs  like this that haven't had any sunlight

There are some average ones in here!

The far side had a bunch of heads

The sun finally found its way

So did the pigs

Got some good soft-hackle love.  #16!

This far bank had a bunch of big heads working, but I couldn't get to 'em for a good drift.

I finally made it across up here, but the wind had started.

Some nice fish in faster water

From the far side

Back on the near side upstream

The lower far side again

Pig after pig . . . 

SFB At 320 CFS

So I asked Larry what he had fished while travelling between The Fork and the O.  He said Silver Creek and the South Fork of the Boise.  "How was the Boise?"  "Good, it was really good!"  I heard him.  Instead of waiting until 3pm for another hatch on the O, I headed to Anderson Dam.  I had never fished this section of the Boise, despite hearing about how I should for many years.

The river changed drastically in 2013 due to catastrophic summer fires in the canyon and above in its entire drainage. Then in September, a flooding downpour triggered 7 mud/rock slides, nearly wiped out the river road, and destroyed campgrounds.  Regulars said it would never be the same, and apparently it isn't, but its still got big trout.  Flushing flows from Anderson Ranch Dam in 2014 helped restore habitat.

Fire

This doom and gloom news kept me away from this part of the river until now.Good thing I got the kick from Larry.  Trust a Ranch resident.  I had been reading good reports of big fish on forums and from a couple of other dry fly fanatics, so it was on the list, but I drove right past the turnoff between Silver Creek and the O a few days ago.  Not this time.  Never again when flows are low like this.

The river from 1000 feet above

The road down, with a sheer cliff, washboard, and no guard rails.  Slow down and pay attention, or die!

First place I peered over, saw a big head just upstream

One on each side of the rock

Left side of this rock had the big one.  Had to cast upstream due to upstream wind and water depth.  The only way.

Score

#20 you-know-what on 6X

And another

Making my way across to that shady side

Gotta be somethin' here, right?

Three big heads in these three little current lines.  Top one was the biggest.  Again, had to approach from below and cast upstream due to wind and water depth

Beauties

Been a while since the old standby was tied on.

Moving up

Good water.  Cold. Clear.  Mossy bottom.

Caddis in mid-October.

Summer evening caddis!

Couldn't find any more fish downriver eating caddis or anything else

Trees still have green leaves!

Just hints of fall.

Right below the dam, this pool full of rings after sundown

The view from the top going back out

O' The Hunt

I met Larry this afternoon and told him to fish that run I fished yesterday with the big fish eating, and I'd go downstream.  The hatch didn't start until nearly 3:00.  PMD's and BWO's again.  There was a good fish in the run downstream of the bridge.  (The same run that some worm fisherman stringered-up 5 really nice , now dead, rainbows and then had the balls to ask me if I'd take his picture with them.)  So there was one left, and I got it.  Then I went down to the next pool, but only saw smaller fish.  There was a crowd of 5 fishing the head of the next long pool, so I went below and fished the big pond and the outlet run below it.  There were fish rising in both, but they got the best of me.  A few big eats, but no connections, and the eats were few and far between.  Never did solve the puzzle.  This place would be nuts on a cloudy showery day like I had a few years back.  Its tough now, and the hatches are late.

I let Larry hog the good close run that I camped in yesterday.

Still in the house

This fatty was fun.  They look like San Juan fish.

I remembered the PMD box today.  This got ate.

This pool had a lot of smaller fish going

Occupied redds everywhere

Some fish doin' it in these super slow pools.  Just tough.  And boring.

The outlet of the long "guaging station" pool.

There was quite a few fish coming up in the foam line around these rocks.  And some dandies.

I got a few eats, but mostly got my ass handed to me.