Tributary

Main river got dirtier yesterday, and the slough cleared from its chocolate milk color yesterday morning.  Both didn't fish that well yesterday, but this morning the slough had cleared, by its own standards.  Had to give it a try.  Fish were all cookie-cutters out of the same mold.  Decent PMD's at 10:30, but the fish never really got on them.  I had to walk up and down a lot to find a rising fish.  They all ate though, every one of them!  Nice send-off  from this valley.

That first peek around the corner going upstream

The bend formerly known as Pennsylvania Corner

New trail on the "wrong" side of the creek

Same caddis worked well

Shined for a PMD

For a couple picky ones

In south Florida we used to call it snook-thumb.  After a few days in this valley, its brown trout thumb.  Not lipping them like a snook, but some of them just get ya.

Mayflies, Caddis, and Sallies

Oh my!  What is it with these bugs on arrival I have?  I pull in to a "new" river, and the bugs are loaded. First roll into Last Chance-march browns.  Ranch opener, PMDs all to myself.  Up to the MO, PMDs again.

This time, mid-afternoon yesterday, caddis on the water and in the air. PMDs on the water.  Sallies crawling all around, over, and in the camper. I guess it was that one summer day.  Today its cool, bordering on cold.  Yep, I can already feel the days getting shorter.   But, the fish are chompin'.  Big time. Easy fishing. Releases from the dam are a hair over 300.  The gauge just below where I'm fishing says around 120. Maybe I'll stay a few days and see if there's a second summer. This morning's PMDs started about 90 minutes before the siren. Nothing else joined them, must be too cold.  Raining and 46 at mid-afternoon.  WTF.  Oh ya, endless winter of 2023.  This evening was ok with some caddis and big PMDs.  Clouds this afternoon were all bark and no bite, except for some cold wind.  Check the slough tomorrow?

Fish are eating 1-6 inches off the river-left bank for 400 feet up, and 200 feet down.

Just walkin' up the bank both evenings, mowing them down.  Great chance to work on my straight upstream game, though from the fish here, it doesn't need work.  I wish I could do it on the Fork, like Harrop does.  Needs work!

Something about barns, wood barns, on a river, where trout are rising.

This fluffed up EZ Caddis (Lawson) took fish after fish after fish.

This was a nice change of scenery when it calmed down.

For the PMD's in the morning.

I think it was on the patch from the MO

Mmmm Hmmm

Never Say Never

Just when you think . . .  Several years ago during the last June high water event, I wrote in this journal that I'd never go back to the MO when it was at flood stage.  12,000.  10,000.  Even 8,000.  I don't even like it at 6,500!  But the Fork was getting tougher each day after the opener, bugs were few, the cold was coming in, and I needed a move to some rising fish and lower elevation.  All roads always lead to the MO. Hell, everyone in their right mind knows that.  Figured I'd just drive up, take a look at the river, spend the night, and find something smaller to fish for a few days.  I mean, the fish don't even rise when its above 6,500, right?  Everybody knows that too.

Well, things change I guess.  The first pool I drove  up to at Lone Tree had rising fish all over it late in the afternoon.  Flow:12,000ish.  I can't get in the water, but I can walk next to it in some spots.  Most places the water slows a little has rising fish.  Most can't be reached where I can make a cast.  Cliffs, sheer drop offs, and willows see to that.  But PMD's every morning, and some caddis adding to them in the afternoon are keeping fish up.  It's sort of happening.  If the water was down, or I stood about 9 feet tall, it would be red hot!  She's "down" to 10,000ish now.  Still raging.  PMD's starting right after sunrise.  Hard to get in the water to cast, or for a picture.  Its cool, need a sweatshirt and hoody.  Furnace running in the trailer nightly.  Glad Norman's with me.  I used a lot of different flies in addition to the soft hackles.  They all worked.  Often, it was change a fly, get an eat.  No more eats, then repeat and another eat.  The fly doesn't matter, except when it does, or might.  Never say never.

Campground pool, first night, boiling with fish.  Just shore fishin'.

Caddis and PMD's.

Can't even step off here.  Raging through the bridge.

Still can walk down on the point and in the mucky grass above it.

Can even wade into the water a couple steps here.

The fish are sippin' in the deeper water, hard to reach, especially with a decent drift.

Rising off the point every day though.  No more beaver lodge below the island.

Not a lot going on upriver

Some fish up this trail above CA

Some risers here.

Shore fishing from the rocks

There are still bows!  They outnumber the browns, but not on my flies.

Aside from the jaw damage, he's a looker.  Big one too.

This loop wing was a standout.

Not quite a soft hackle, and not a stiff genetic.  A medium hackle! (Metz #3 neck from the early 80's)  It still has the all important motion.

Missing Link.  No, that's the name of the fly!

Corn Fed is right!