If you’ve seen my “Wet Flies 101” presentation or fished with me, you know I’m a proponent of moving along until you find fish. Yesterday was a perfect example of why.
I swung wets for two hours in three locations. My team was a size 12 Squirrel and Ginger on top, a size 10 Hackled March Brown in the middle, and a size 10 soft-hackled bead head Pheasant Tail on point. The first place I fished continues to vex me. It screams wet fly. I know there are trout that live there. And I still haven’t gotten a touch in three trips. Moving right along…the second place was a lot of walking for a single JV Atlantic salmon, Salar the Leaper Jr. though he was. Finally, the last spot — ding-ding-ding. A nice assortment of wild browns from the sub-foot to mid-teens class. They were all attractively colored up for fall. Such impressive fins and tails on these stream-born fish. The hands-down favorite fly was the SHBHPT, and every take came on the dead drift phase of the presentation.
This brown attacked from his ambush position between two boulders in a slick-surfaced run.
I spent about 3 hours yesterday in 2 spots, got 5 on Iso drys not bad but not great either. I should adopt your moving till I find fish.
Do you have a wet fly 101scheduled anytime soon?
Mike
Do you mean the presentation to clubs? Sadly, I don’t. I hit most of the area clubs last year with that one. Maybe someone will want a do-over? 🙂
Yes, I was hoping for a club in the area as I had to work when you went to NY a couple weeks back. Will try to be at the naugy TU on the first.
Thanks
You can always contact clubs and suggest this speaker named Steve Culton…
Nice fish. Yesterday afternoon, we found a number of browns in one pool taking emergers and cahills, with several rolling a hot wing caddis and little on anything else.
Sounds like a good time to swing a Light Cahill wet…or present a Magic Fly on the surface. I did well last year in the late afternoon on patterns like those. Unfortunately, I was out in the middle of the day, and hatch activity was virtually nil.
A great lesson for all of us. I find it hard to move locations when I believe I am in a “good” spot. Thanks for the “coaching” … I get a little bit better ( more productive) every time I trust your tips.
Here’s when I’ll stay locked in one place on the Farmington:
1) I’m committed to the dry fly cause, I know the hatch/feed could start any moment, and/or I don’t want to give up my position on highly sought-after water;
2) I’m trying to out-stubborn a fish (usually means I’m dry flying);
3) I don’t want to give up a spot in the winter (when there are far fewer productive areas to fish in).
That’s about it. Otherwise, the fish have about 20-60 minutes to impress me. Note that within that time span, I’ll be covering water the length of a run or pool, from seam to seam, and bank to bank. Find the customers who are ready to buy.