Magnetic

It pulls constantly.  I saw a forecast for a day of "cooler" temperatures in the low 80's with a good chance of showers, and it was back to the MO after playing around in the park for the weekend.  Its a different MO.  There have been tricos every morning except the rainy Tuesday, but the fish don't care.  The morning bite is minimal to nil.  The late afternoons and evenings have all been decent to good.  Not great.  Rising fish are in small spots, but not widespread.  More bugs on the stretch from Wolf to the dam, and most of the big fish.  Smaller fish are up below the bridge, but even those are in just a few select spots.  River is crowded, really crowded.  Everyone is up top.  So, are the fish tougher because it's so crowded, warmer/lower water, or just because that's the way it is?  I've ripped 'em plenty of times in July and August heat, low water, and crowded.  Some say they're just not on the tricos "yet."  Weeds are now in play, though not annoying on the upper stretch.  The hooked fish know how to find them easily now though!

Bugs are still PMD's and caddis, and most of the fish are eating the PMD's.  Evenings have a decent little hatch.  Not much for mornings.  They are eating "that" stage when the adult is just popping out of the nymph, a tenth of an inch under the surface.  That one or two seconds.  Not the adults.  Not the numerous spinners.  Maybe the nymph an inch under.  You'll see a rise, and the fish "misses" the bug, and a split-second later the dun pops onto the top of the water.  One seasoned regular I talked to, when asked how you catch those fish feeding on that stage of emergence, said, "You don't!"  Well, enough casts and some luck and you get an eat now and then.  But he's right, they usually don't eat any fly you have even when you're close, can see the fish, and get the perfect drift right over them.  I'm still working on a fly for this, probably until the day I die, or someone else comes up with "it."  The hanging ones were the best, but only for a couple fish here and there.  Never found one they mostly liked.  Not too thrilled with the loop wing, PHD, Last Chance, or most other cripples and emergers.

The caddis eaters felt like a consolation.  Easy.  They went after it.  Surprised there weren't more eating them.  Same with the spinners, no fish on 'em.  Both were on the water most of the time, and mostly ignored.  Fishing pressure in the low water?  

The Dearborn Ranch fire was contained last night and this morning.

Stayed mostly to the west of the Interstate

First evening winner

Tricos in the house

The landed ones are the ugly ones.

Bull Pasture for the win

The big island at 3,000

Better looking, except for the mouth.

It keeps trying to be great.  Just good.  Needs work. 

This was a beauty, hook jaw and everything, but he had other ideas.

Ok, flirting with dirty, but it floats high!  And, I can see it really good.  Hi-vis "a-second-before-emergence"

 

Local favorite that got repeated eats on two evenings.

Another hook jawed tank, just a little too wet

The evening PMD winner hands-down.  'Ole Buzz at Depuy's fly shop knows his shit!  (Craven too)

Not this week

For future reference when we go back to 6,000 or 8,000.