25 July 2009
Written by
joe (
)
Published on July 25th, 2009 @ 10:27:34 am, using 382 words, 113 views
Its the end of July and it typically a transition period of the summer for us. There is a bunch a really great fishing to be had, but the days of going anywhere you want at anytime with a 3x leader are quickly fading. So the guide gameplanning is about to ramp back up again.
Two factors that drive the next 2 weeks of fishing are Water Temp and Light -
The easiest fishing is when our fish are in a forage mode. Heavy Leaders attached to large dries or streamers. Trout in this mood like low light, access to larger food items, and 55 - 68 degree temps. It gets them in the mood. Right now it is the early morning bite that has the great big bug fishing. We have a late night Stonefly hatch that is suppling a steady push of food load into the late morning. Just as the lights come on these bugs are available to our fish. We can put it in the roily wavetrain, skinny fast slots on structure that typify our dominant trout lays and count on big feeders on the hunt. As the sun gets higher and the prowlers slink away and our medium sized fish find the morning spinner fall.
The anchor drops and the tippet gets fine and the stage of feed is changing to a hatch scenario. Now they have a bleed of food that they will center on and fall back into the slow moving glass water where they can surf and be efficient on the hatch. They still want to feed, but not at the same feaver pitch.
After lunch we have been fishing until around 4. Our fish have been up after lunch, but are really starting to pick and shut down by the time the boat hits the ramp. They will feed, but sparingly until the late evening which is fading quickly.
What will change this cycle?
Tricos in a few weeks will create a big pulse of mid-morning food load that brings up huge podes and Hoppers.
I talked to the trout last night and they guaranteed me that the will be locked into the Tricos and Hoppers by Aug. 3.
But fish often lie to me. They claim my history of fly deception has scarred their ability to trust.
16 July 2009
Written by
joe (
)
Published on July 16th, 2009 @ 10:09:36 am, using 345 words, 137 views
Missoula is about dry fly fishing. Its what we do best. Two seasons ago I guided 154 days and I put a bobber/nymph rig on for six of them. The rest I pushed a dry everyday - thats the kind of habitat and diversity of water we have. I throw the Missouri into our complex of water as they fill in the gaps when the Missoula Freestones are too big in May and in October when our water gets a little chilly late in the month.
I love all kinds of dry fly fishing, but my favorite is anchor dropping and reach casting to pods. I don’t get to do it a ton, because I need to manufacture attractor eats as we are moving to another push your boat through and chase a fly into the pod shots. And big dries are so much fun and our client’s favorite style. Easy to see and big boys move on them. I like the game a bunch too, but it sure adds another dynamic to the game when you put the hopper rod away.
A few of my guys only shoot heads and only cast when you see them rise. You do more fishing with your eyes and sneaking than you do casting. The hopper game is going to produce more fish, but this style is more process oriented. Its all about sliding in quiet, ease down the anchor, no boat wake, just above the lay, and then figuring out the stage of bug they are on. The angler’s job is to start working it with a short cast to boat side eye, feel the drift with the first slack feed, and then gently ease the fly over the lane with a disinfected drift. Dry fly surgery is not easy at 50 feet. But, it is really cool to see the good head hunters line up the big singles and pick them off.
My Tuesday guide day was falling anchors, reach casts, Yellow Sallies, Dead Caddis in the film, mixed with Anticipation and Cheering. Not bad for Weekday.
09 July 2009
Written by
joe (
)
Published on July 9th, 2009 @ 07:17:41 am, using 227 words, 121 views
I thought I was going to get some time off around the 4th of July, but I ended playing catch up on paperwork. I took a little time with my kids the evening of the 4th and my 4 and 5 year old had a blast with sparklers. Also took about a 3 hr float on the Lower Clark Fork with the family and let Mackenzie reel in a 20 inch rainbow I hooked for her. My family really enjoys time on the water. I need to spend more time guiding them.
Each summer I tell myself to plan more time off, but you start thinking about January bills when ice chokes off our rivers and the guide days not happening. This is a seasonal gig, and the weeks off in the winter are much more pleasant when the cash reserves are in place and fit the household budget.
We have had excellent fishing lately, except on the cool rainy days. Rainy days are usually king, but with all the water we have we still are needing the warm sun to get our fish active and pump our hatches. Lucky for us it rarely rains in July. So it has been shorts, sandals, and rising trout.
Another short blog and I am back into the boat for a couple weeks.
See you when I come up again. Anybody have a snorkel?
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