It's that time of the year. The trout know it - the insects, which graced the waters during balmy Spring days, have been replaced by other species of mayflies and caddis. These are the evening insects and they will be with us for the next few months. They start to emerge as the shadows lengthen over the pools and runs of my favorite freestone rivers, the Millers and the EB. They were there tonight on the EB.
My little gem, the Slant Rock Pool which is classic dry fly water if there ever was any, was slow tonight. One bow came to my Harrop Hairwing Dun so I moved up to the Bliss. With the same fly I began to work the water from the mid section heading upstream, casting that dry and taking an upstream step every few casts.
The rises began. It was a slow, casual sip of the surface which reminded me of Millers River browns and not the EB's slam bang rainbows. That's because THEY WERE BROWNS!!! I took four on that Harrop dry and failed to entice the rest before I decided to call it a night.
The emerging insects were large. A dusky caddis and a dusky mayfly. My offering actually looked like the mayfly as they drifted together in mid pool!!
The evening rise is what I live for. Everything before hand in April and for most of May is a warm up act. Let the shadows fall on the water, let the insects begin to hatch and let the trout begin to rise. You can have the rest. I will not need it!!!
9 comments:
Ken,
We must have just missed you yesterday and with the exception of Walt Geryk and his guiding party of 4 had the entire river to ourselves yesterday. Possibly they hampered your fishing a bit as they were in the Slant Rock and Bliss Pool area most of the day. We fished from 8am-4pm. The fishing was tremedous until 1pm then slowed down by the hour as the water temps began to climb. Larges dries in the pocket water seams and nymphing in any water over your mid thighs was the ticket.
I agree with you that the spring season is peaking out quickly, it is now time for summer mode. Fish dawn & dusk. The heat of day will slow the fishing dramtically.
-BT
I agree Ken, dry flies are the best!
I took just one fish last night in the Millers, but it was on a dry (in the "upper" kempfield pool no less) and made the trip worthwhile. If only they rose more consistently......
Bert,
I went to the Kempfield Pool for the first time ever last night. I was there until 9pm, no fish. There were only sproadic rises. Still not sure if I was in the pool or not, it was very shallow and easy wading. Is that the Kempfield? I took 4 Browns above the RR tracks during the day, go figure?
Were you one of the two guys fishing opposite me? If so, you guys did ok. It didn't help that I thought this was bigger water and brought a canon of a rod planning to chuck streamers.
All this talk about fish on dries is getting hard to take. I couldn't get any further west than the Swift and the water is still ripping along at over 200 cfs.
Put caddis and stimis into every back pocket I could find but only one hit.
Went to bead head nymphs with a couple of BBs and wham. Lots of big bows and strong current make for tired arms. It's fun but it still is "spring" fishing.
HamOnFly
Falsecast,
no I wasn't one of the two guys who were fishing "the other side". I must have met you at the car park when I left. You were at the Kempfield. I was there only a short time and then went upstream to that pool just below the trestle. That deep tailout pool always has some fish rising; rises in the rest of the pool have been sporadic in my (fairly limited) experience.
That was me in the lot. I am new to the Miller's, but enjoying discovering it. There is plenty of good water in that area.
The bugs were sporadic, but I am assuming the rises were to caddis, but couldn't tell.
See you again on the water.
I'm seeing something that seems to occur on the Millers throughout the years. Perfect evenings, perfect flows and no rising fish. For some reason June is the month for this inactivity but it's always followed by very good July and August fishing.
Mid May had very good rising sport. June was so-so. I'll still be there!!
There's way, way more good water on the Miller's that is not really accessible, unfortunately. I've been told that floating the river is great.
Oh well...
Ken,
I am a little late but I had meant to say I had a great time fishing with you a few weeks ago. I know we didn't get into any rising fish but I have at least seen the water and where to go. I am hoping to make a trip out again soon. Hopefully the fish will be rising.
I have had some success with that stone fly pattern you gave me on the Quinnie. It seems to be a nice versatile fly. No browns yet but I had a rainbow come up an blast it. The native Quinnie brookies didn't object either.
MIke
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