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Posts Tagged ‘caddis’
South Fork of the Boise River Report (10-20)
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It’s officially “transition time” on the South Fork. The summer hatches are fading and the winter hatches have not begun, so predictably the fish are selectively eating what they have a sweet tooth for. That means one fish will eat a #14 Adams Caddis Green, the next fish will eat a #16 Black Gold (AKA: South Fork Killer), and the next fish will eat a #16 Black Searcher. That’s the way my day went, changing flies and hooking fish. I had more success in the riffles than on the flats, and I never had much of an opportunity to cast to a feeding fish. The positive end of that is the fish are still hanging in good holding water and looking up for a bug they might like to eat.
This is a difficult time to fish the South Fork: The water is low and clear, and the fish are really sensitive to your presence and any line landing over their heads. Here are some helpful hints for the South Fork right now:
1) Wear dark clothing and nothing white should show above your waders.
2) Enter the water slowly and move cautiously to any positions you are setting up to cast.
3) When fishing upstream, DO NOT cast over the top of a feeding fish; position yourself in the river where you can always put a quarter-angle cast over the fish.
4) Don’t be married to a fly, and have very little patience with a fly that is not hooking fish. You may have to change flies numerous times to fool even one fish.
5) Make long casts to holding water where you know a fish is living, and make sure you soften the casts for a subtle delivery of the fly.
6) If you see a pod of fish feeding ahead of you, get out of the water, make a wide circle around and above them, and then fish down river picking off the fish top to bottom of the run.
7) Focus your efforts on the riffles because the fish won’t pick up your line or the setting of your casts, and you’ll get quick response bites where the fish has to pull the trigger on your bug or it will float by him to quickly.
If you follow these suggestions, you’ll find success on that river; it is attainable even though the fishing is very challenging. I ended up landing 14 fish yesterday using 7 different flies.
Flies that caught fish:
1) Black Gold Stimulator (AKA South Fork Killer) #16, #14
2) Black Searcher #16
3) Adams Caddis (Green) and Peacock #14
4) Tantalizer Baetis #18
5) Tantalizer Pink #18
6) Fall Caddis #12 Tester Fly
7) Emperor Caddis Black #20
South Fork of the Boise River Report (9-28)
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We were a little short on hopper footage in our video library, so we decided to make a run to the low side of the South Fork of theBoiseRiverin the Canyon aboveNeilBridge. It’s a treacherous walk up the canyon where you encounter steep side walls, and you have to navigate one boulder patch after another. After boulder hopping for a mile or so, we settled in on the eastern side of the river on a long deep riffraff bank.
The party began in a hurry with some nice rainbows slipping to the surface and eating the Bullet Head Hopper #8. We slowly worked the fly from the soft inner edges to midstream; it didn’t make much difference there were fish looking for hoppers in all parts of the channel. We filmed the first run of water and netted 18 fish, but the fish suddenly were refusing to eat the hopper. So you do what’s necessary in September, and that means change to a caddis. In this case it was an Adams Caddis Peacock, and as expected, the fish keyed on it immediately.
Geoff took the rod through the next run and I took the camera. The results were the same: Geoff started hooking fish with regularity and he picked up another 13 fish before we had to leave the canyon.
We probably waited a little long to hike out because the shade had begun to creep into the canyon, and that means the rattlesnakes begin to appear along the banks. Right on schedule about a half mile from the car, an old, lazy rattler was coiled under a rock along the river. We navigated around him and luckily had no more encounters. If you fish the low end of the South Fork, you want to make sure you’re off the river before the sun goes down.
Snake or not, it was another great day on the river!!
Flies that caught fish:
Adams Caddis Green and Peacock Caddis #16, #14
Adams Caddis
A gorgeous high-floating fly tied in body colors gray and dark olive with the classic grizzly and brown collar. Fish him in fast water and very aggressively. He floats like a cork and catches fish like a worm.
$1.95
- Color:
- Gray, Green.
Peacock Caddis
$1.95
Bullet Head Hopper #8, #6
Bullet Hopper
$2.35
Deschutes River Report (9-22)
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After our presentation on the 21st we started the 22nd at 6:00 AM heading for theDeschutesRiver. Eric Steele and Leanne Ross were our hosts for a visit to the Warm Springs to Trout Creek Section of theDeschutes. We had indicated in our presentation that we felt a dry fly could be fished on all sections of the Deschutes River. Neither Geoff nor I have ever fished that section of river, so we left it to Eric and Leanne to lead the way. The morning started typically: Choosing a fly and working various waters below the Warm Springs Bridge. It didn’t take long for the action to begin when Geoff found himself on a grassy edge on an island, and the first fish hit the net. Then another, and another; and by the end of the run, we had a chance to see the first half dozen “Redsides.” The only drawback to the line of fish was that they weren’t the large variety we were looking for, but the prospects for a promising day were looking good!!
Those prospects began to diminish as we fished two more runs without catching a fish. We moved down river and slid the boat into the bottom side of an island for lunch. There was a beautiful riffle on the east channel that flowed under a canopy of trees and another beautiful riffle on the west side of the island. The two channels met at an apex about 50 yards below the island. The run had big fish written all over it. As Eric laid out lunch, I grabbed my rod and moved out on the edge of the island. The riffle was shallow then dropped off a shelf into a deepened slot. I landed a size #14AdamsCaddis above the ledge and fed line as the bug drifted down the riffle and right on the ledge, Bang!! The first big fish of the day came calling. It was a beautiful take in mid current, and as he made the turn, it was a solid set in the corner of his mouth. It didn’t take long to learn Deschutes River rainbows have some serious power and speed. I couldn’t believe that a 15” fish could be that porky and fight so hard. All four of us admired the fish together and watched him swim away.
I dried the fly and turned back to the riffle and before I could cast, I saw another large fish rise on the far edge of the current in a soft spot. I zinged the fly exactly to his location and the fish never even hesitated; the fish rose up and ate the bug. The battle was on from one channel to the next channel, down behind a boulder, then a beautiful jump. After a few more impressive runs, the “Redside” slid into the net. Wow! What a gorgeous 17½” fish, super heavy, and absolutely drop-dead beautiful. Just like that, we knew that these premium fish could be engaged on a dry fly. Then Geoff picked up the reigns and landed two nice fish while I was on the other side of the island landing four more fish. We were about ready to leave when I had an inclination there was another big fish in the head of the run. I casted the fly in the same location that hooked the larger fish earlier, and sure enough, another 14” fish rolled up and ate the bug.
We moved down river enjoying the scenery, conversations, and learning a lot about the river that Eric and Leanne love so much. It is truly a spectacular river canyon. We settled into a beautiful stretch of water on the west bank. It was slow moving, moderate depth, and the water was moving under a series of trees. The caddis were alive under the canopy of trees. It was a perfect hideout for a big, lazy fish. We spread out along the run, and I position myself on the bottom of the slick and began to fish up through the canopies. I was mid-thigh deep in the river under the branches of a tree when out of the corner of my eye, I saw a subtle fish rise against the bank about 25 feet to the right. I moved up and to the outside of the tree I was under and shot a long cast to the fish I saw. The fly lit gently just ahead of where the fish was feeding. Instantaneously the fish exploded on the Peacock Caddis, and the fight was on–up along the willow beds, out to deep water, a beautiful jump, and then a streaking run down river almost into my backing. The fish was heading for a brush pile and fortunately I turned him back up water; and after a few more hard runs, Leanne netted the fish. I’ve seen a lot of gorgeous rainbows, but this puppy was a “looker”–absolutely spectacular coloration and extremely heavy. After Leanne and I admired the fish and shot some photos, we watched the 18” “Redside” slowly swim away.
The shade was beginning to creep across the river, and we settled in below theHawaiian Islandson the last assault on the fish. I caught a small rainbow and a darn squaw fish at the base of the island. I then moved back to a hard riffle just above the boat. As the light of day was waning, we finished the day with two more nice fish at the riffle. It was a beautiful introduction to that section theDeschutesRiver. Thanks again to Eric and Leanne for a wonderful day!!
Flies that caught fish:
Adams Caddis Green #16
Peacock Adams Caddis #16, #14 (Wow this bug has been a producer in September on multiple rivers)
SF Boise River (Below Neil Bridge) 9/17
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The best excuse I could find was that Mudd needed an outing. So I just happened to throw in my rod, just in case. After Mudd took his plunge, I strapped on a hopper and began to work the edges. After about 15 minutes, I was convinced the fish weren’t looking for a hopper. So I tied on a #16 Adams Caddis – Green, which has been our hottest bug in September. I started working a riff raff edge with a beautiful foam line. The caddis was hard to see in the foam channels; but sure enough, there was a dimple, and the first rainbow of the day was on. He had a lot of spunk for a 13-inch fish which was an indication of things to come. I landed him without the net and let him go. The fish were hanging right on the bank on the deep edges, so that’s where I kept the fly. I landed another four fat, feisty rainbows and things were beginning to look a little easy. The next fish I hooked was a little bigger with a log of “go.” He zinged off downriver, plunged over a boulder, and busted me off.
I tied on another caddis and on the second cast, I couldn’t see the fly. I started pulling the hook out to re-cast, and I had a fish on. He was going one way, and I was pulling the other when he popped my hook off. I was glad no one was watching because I was beginning to look like a rookie. I ate my pride and tied on another caddis. By the time I’d finished the run, I’d landed three more fish. I moved upriver to another deep edge, caught a couple more fish there, and waded back across the river. I finished up my fishing excursion with a few more fish. The lower South Fork is well worth your time and effort to fish. I didn’t catch any giants, but the 13-17″ fish are real sporty. They are well fed, shiny, and beautiful. You get a lot of jumps per fish.
Side Note: I did something I haven’t done in quite awhile. I hooked a fish in a boulder patch and he ran sideways between two boulders and broke me off. I retied my tippet and my fly and casted back into the same hole. A fish came up and ate the peacock caddis. I landed the fish, and he had two peacock caddis in his mouth! I got my fly back and hypothesized that that was a very stupid 15″ fish. I thanked him and let him go. Fish on….
Flies that caught fish:
#16 & #14 Adams Caddis – Green
Adams Caddis
A gorgeous high-floating fly tied in body colors gray and dark olive with the classic grizzly and brown collar. Fish him in fast water and very aggressively. He floats like a cork and catches fish like a worm.
$1.95
- Color:
- Gray, Green.
#16 & #14 Peacock Caddis
Peacock Caddis
$1.95
South Fork of the Boise River Report (9-12)
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When you look at your sheepskin at the end of the day, and there are nine different flies hanging from it, you know it was a challenging day of fishing, and you know you’ve been tested. So it went on the South Fork on Monday, September 12.
I started the day on a riff raff edge about 4 miles below the dam. My tie-on bug was a Black Gold Humpy #16. Within 10 minutes I’m in the middle of a BWO hatch; there are size #16 green caddis’s bouncing on the water, and there are large trout beginning to feed above me. I switched to a #18 Baetis Tantalizer thinking the fish would take it as a hatching baetis or an emerging caddis. Wrong. The fish didn’t like it. Next guess was a #22 BWO No Hackle and I tie it on. I have to fish the hatch up river, and that’s a bad delivery over smart fish, but I get lined up on a fish in the center of the river in front of a boulder. First cast–he eats the No Hackle and the first of many knock down, dragged out fights begin. I fight him in heavy current and boulders for 3 or 4 minutes, chase him down river 25 yards, get him 10 feet from the net and lose him. So be it.
I line up on another big fish feeding under a low hanging willow. On the third delivery in slow motion, the big old guy sips the bug. Fish on again; and this time, I put the fish in the net after a 6-8 minute fight. The fish on the South Fork have summered well; most of the fish are big, fat, thick, and damn hard to handle in fast water in a boulder patch on a #22 BWO.
I’m thinking I’ve got the bug figured out so I target another fish. He won’t eat and I put him down. Another big fish is in my sights… he won’t eat. I’m beginning to see some pinks begin to hatch so I switch flies to a Pink Tantalizer #18. I target a giant fish on a small inner chute of water close to the bank. First cast on the Pink, I hook the fish; he breaks straight out to the middle of the current, jumps twice and starts plunging down behind boulders. On the second boulder he lodges himself behind it. I feel my line being serrated across the boulder then pop! the fish is gone and so is my fly. The fish flat out kicked my butt and handed me my lunch, not to mention losing my fly and destroying my tippet.
I re-rig and join the party again, but the fish weren’t playing and the feeders I had been working with stopped eating. I started casting blindly to holding water with an Adams Caddis, Pinks, and a small Black Gold #16. They all caught small fish, and I managed to hook another giant fish on the Pink Tantalizer, but he fought me down river and finally kicked the hook about 6 feet from the net. The hook popped back and stuck in the collar of my shirt. I left the first run of water with my tail tucked between my legs in disbelief that fish could bully me around like that. Size #20 and #22 hooks don’t grab that much meat.
The second run I fished was above Cow Creek about a ½ mile on a riff raff edge on the west side of the river. I started fishing an Adams Caddis Green and picked up a few small fish. I had a few targets that wouldn’t eat the fly so I changed to a Black Gold #16. Bang! I catch a big fish, then another, and another. I missed a couple of fish in between because the day so was dark and I couldn’t see the small black stimulator. My timing was off on the hook set and that is never good. I fished my way through the run and picked up a couple more fish. At the top end of the run it turns into a fast, shallow riffle–a perfect place to work a hopper. I strapped one on and served it right on the edge of the west bank. Right on cue, a big caramel-colored rainbow eats the hopper. I fight him for a few minutes; he wallows and kicks the fly back to me. Damn!!
The day was getting gloomier and windy when I reached my last run of water. I was below the Islands where the 3 forks of the river come together. I waded the river and started fishing in a minor hurricane. There were three fish feeding on the edge of the current, but it was so dark I couldn’t see what they were eating. I guessed Baetis Tantalizer, and sure enough I hook a big fish just as it starts to rain. By the time I landed the fish, the rain is pelting the water and the wind is howling. I release the fish and make a run for the car.
After a ½ hour rain storm the wind calms and the rain stops, so I bust out of the car, wade the river and start fishing again. I had on an Adams Caddis Peacock #16 thinking it would be easier to see. There were no fish rising so I started placing the fly in holding water and letting it dead drift. After a few casts, I’m struggling to see the bug but I see a small dimple in the water where I think the fly might be. I set the hook thinking it’s a small fish, but the fish takes a monster run up river and I feel him head shaking. I realize it’s no small fish. I fight him for a long time, chase him down river and finally land him. He’s a 19” total pig with massive girth.
I dry the fly and go on a rampage. The top end of the run is stacked with big rainbows and they’re hunting a caddis. The takes were almost the same every time: small dimples at the surface and big fish in the net. There were no small fish and there were no false takes. For an hour I do nothing but hook and land gorgeous rainbows to the top of the run.
It was getting dark in a hurry so I waded the river and started down the east channel toward the car. The river falls off a large gravel edge into a large hole above the boat launch so I decided to serve the Adams Caddis to some of my friends there. After a few casts with to takes, I noticed a gentle riffle over deep water against the west bank. There was a large overhanging willow bush that protruded into the water just above the riffle, so I settled the fly just behind the willow, mended the line, and watched the caddis gently drift along the bank. About 10 feet below the willow, an enormous fish slowly rises to the surface and crushes the caddis. I set the hook solidly in the side of his mouth and the fish goes ballistic. First he runs towards me, then down river, then into the far bank where he turns up river straight toward the overhanging willow. He’s 15 feet below the willow, and he makes a beeline for the back side of the bush. I see where he’s going and I know the game is over if he makes it behind that willow. I wrenched on that fish as hard as my 5 wt. could stand, and I couldn’t turn him. He bolts in behind the willow and makes a monster jump up river. My line is massively tangled in the willow, but I still feel the fish on. In a few moments all I was left with was a snag around and through the willow bush. I busted off the hook and my tippet, but the tapered was still good. So I finished the day taking another good butt kicking!!!
Flies that caught fish:
1) Black Gold #16
2) Pink Tantalizer #18
3) Baetis Tantalizer #18
4) BWO Emerger #22
5) Adams Caddis Peacock #16
6) Adams Caddis Green #16
7) Bullet Head Hopper #6
8) BWO No Hackle #22 & #20
Lower Gospel Lake 8/27
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It’s a big huckleberry year, so I convinced Peach and Mudd that it was picking time; but before we could start on that endeavor, I would have to drop in the canyon and fish Lower Gospel Lake. They took the bait, and I found myself on the two mile trail that falls off into the lake.
I had fished the lake a couple of years ago, and the cutthroats were all about 8-11 inches long. If the lake took its natural progression, the fish should be larger this year. I was wrong—the fish were just about the same. There are too many fish in the lake, and the food source isn’t supplying the nutrients to grow larger fish. Looking at the outlet, I could see at least a dozen fish, and they looked exactly as I remembered. Regardless, I had a fishing rod in my hand, so my choices were to fish or to fish. I elected to fish.
The cutties were cruising the shorelines cleaning up the small midges and occasional caddis that had hatched during the night before. I began targeting the fish out ahead of me along the edge with nice sift casts, landing the Flying Black Any out ahead of the fish then putting a little movement on the bug. The fish would see the ant at surprisingly long distance and bolt to the surface. Even with small fish, it’s still exciting to watch “the take.” In fact, there is no excitement in all of sport like “the take.” I have been addicted to it for 50 years, and it never grows old.
So I fished the shoreline for 150 yards, caught and released about 25 gorgeous cutties, hiked out of the canyon, and huckleberried the rest of the day. Life is good!!
Flies that caught fish:
Black Flying Ant; #16
Ants
An enormous percentage of a trout's diet above 6,000 feet is ants. Fish cruise the edges under the canopy in search of these crunchy, high-octane morsels. The four ant patterns displayed are the ultimate weapons in the most prevalent color selections. They have tightly wound oblong body segments, beautifully crafted wings, and present themselves exactly like the natural. They have no deer hair shells over the tail so they are tough and won't fray or break like many commercial flies. You will catch more fish with less refusals using DFI ants!
$1.80
- Color:
- Black, Cinnamon, Red.
Adams Caddis – Green; #18
Adams Caddis
A gorgeous high-floating fly tied in body colors gray and dark olive with the classic grizzly and brown collar. Fish him in fast water and very aggressively. He floats like a cork and catches fish like a worm.
$1.95
- Color:
- Gray, Green.
South Fork of the Boise Fishing Report 8-23
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There are times you fantasize about the fishing day ahead of you. You visualize giant fish rolling up to the hook, enormous jumps four feet out of the water, and your reel squealing as the monster fish has his way. Rarely does your fantasy ever equal reality of fishing for big smart fish, but on 8/23/11 on the South Fork of the Boise River, the reality of the fishing trip totally surpassed the fantasy, and for eight straight hours we brawled with some of the largest fish I’ve ever seen caught on the South Fork, and I’ve fished that river since 1977.
The day started innocently with a Pink Tantalizer as the tie-on bug thinking there might be a pink hatch happening in the run of river we were going to fish. As we waded the river to get into position, it was obvious I tied on the wrong fly because there were tons of caddis bouncing on the water. We viewed the run up river and it was totally silent without a head peaking up to eat a bug. I never let that bother me because I know something in the fly box will coax them to the surface. I casted the fly a few times…no fish. I was about ready to change to a hopper when Geoff mentioned the overtone colors of the caddis were exactly like the Adam Caddis collection. I tied on a Peacock Caddis #16 and two casts later, bang! The first monster of the day came out of nowhere and ate the bug. We went to the mat together for a major wrestling match that I finally won, and the first big fish was in the net. I dried out and served the fly, and again bang—another big fish. Then another fish and another until I had landed 10 fish in a row without missing one or losing one. The fish were eating the bug and the hook sets were almost always deep in the side of the mouth.
I had to tie on a new tippet because of the rock abrasions, but I put the same caddis back on I had been using. I served the fly against the main current over a large sunken boulder and I saw the whole shimmering side of a fish as he side swiped the caddis. I set the hook and immediately the fish was electric; he jumped four feet out of the water and the second he landed, he flat-out exploded down river. In five seconds I was in backing and I told Geoff to stay with the camera because I’m chasing the fish. I waded a riff raff bank downstream, and the fish peeled line way faster than I could walk. I looked completely across the river, and the fish was against the far bank 50 yards away. I continued down river, and the fish swam back across to my side of the river. I think to myself that I might be able to land him at the bottom of the slick, but about the time I catch up to him, he plunges over a set of rapids and again he’s in my backing down river. I chased the fish because it would be a cold day in hell before I let him lick me. We battled on through the rapids to a relatively calm pool and I had the fish on my side the river. I was able to keep him out of the main current, and inch by inch, I gained on him. The fish moved toward shore just above a guide and two clients in a boat; and just ahead of the boat, I slid the fish into the net. My only comment to them was, “It was a wild ride” because they could see how far up river I started the chase. I’d snagged the fish in one of his pelvic fins; and if you can imagine a 20” fish, very heavy, in fast water hooked in the mid-section, it’s easy to understand the chase. Even so, I’ve never seen a fish run that far in my life. It was an easy quarter mile below where I hooked the fish and Geoff had filmed the whole episode to the point I looked like a speck in the camera.
We regrouped and went back to fishing and immediately we were in another fish, then another and another….. until we reached a large bush that overhung the river. There was a deep run under the brush with a gentle current—it had big fish written all over it. I laid the caddis in the soft water above the brush in the shade and I saw the fly perfectly. It gently floated to the brush, and the second the fly hit sunlight, I saw the total red side of a giant fish blindside the caddis. I drove the hook in the side of his mouth and he immediately owned me by going out to deep water where he rocked me up. I waded out, laid my rod over and behind the boulder, and the fish came loose. Down the river he went. I couldn’t chase him so I make my stand and forced the issue. He turned and moved into softer water where I eventually put him in the net. It was a totally spectacular fish, about 23” long and heavy with gorgeous red cheeks and an almost radiant red strip down his sides.
I retied the fly, dried it well and went back to fishing. Instantly another fish ate the caddis and I landed him there. Another and another and another… until we finally reached the riffle at the head of the run. I stopped getting action on the caddis, so I switch to the Bullet Head Hopper, and on the first cast, a big old rainbow ate it. I landed him and then five more fish in a row went into the net on the hopper.
We finally reached the top of the run and looked back at the 250 yards of water we’d fished. I had no idea how many fish we caught, but the size of the fish was the aspect that stuck in my mind. We moved to a new stretch of water and settled into a long riffle with a cobblestone bottom.
I started fishing up through the riffle. Against the bank under a small bush, Geoff and I both saw a big fish rise. He was slightly out of casting distance, so we moved up. On the first cast, I put the caddis on his nose; and without hesitation, he ate it. Game on again, but this time we were not in a boulder pile and landing this fish would be easier. Wrong again and the fish put on a heroic fight before he succumbed to the net. I dried the fly and long casted to the right of where I’d hooked the last fish. Bang, another big fish ate my fly and I landed him. He was a carbon copy of the last fish—big, thick, and gorgeous.
We moved on up the river to hatch water and there were a few pinks coming off, so naturally I tied on a Pink Tantalizer and served the bug. There were fish to target and as expected, they ate the bug. For the next hour, we landed fish on a pink through the top of the run. Shade was accumulating in the canyon, so we hiked out of the canyon and had lunch at 7:30 at night. After visiting with a couple of fellow fishermen for a half hour, I tied on a Midnight Caddis and headed up river.
Just below the islands, we settled in on the final run of the day. We walked to the bottom of the run and looked up river in the glow water for heads. Not much cooking. We stared at the water for two or three minutes, and right on schedule a fish broke the surface of the glow. We marked him, then another fish rose and we marked him also.
I approached the first fish and hooked and landed him in the fading daylight. While landing the fish, Geoff spotted a big fish rising in fast current ahead of us. Geoff showed me where he was living and I casted to him a few times…nothing. I made a final cast and hooked a small fish and released him. Geoff assured me that the small fish wasn’t what he had seen previously. I trusted his judgment so I go back to casting for the larger fish right at dark. Sometimes I could see the fly and sometimes I couldn’t, and on one of the times I couldn’t see the fly, the big fish ate the bug. All of a sudden, a giant fish jumped completely out of the water about 15 feet out from me. I pulled my slack fly line and realized I have the fish on. We battled into darkness and finally the fish and I were together at the net. We revived the fish in the last sliver of light and he melted into the darkness of the river.
If this fishing adventure sounds a little inflated we understand, but after the day Geoff and I looked at each other and thought did that really happen? All I can tell you is it did and we shot seven hours of footage that captured the whole experience. We’ll probably cut a caddis movie this winter.
Flies that caught fish:
#8 Bullet Head Hopper
Bullet Hopper
$2.35
#16 Peacock Caddis
Peacock Caddis
$1.95
#18 Pink Tantalizer
Tantalizer Series
The “Tantalizer” Series of emergers maybe the most significant break through in dry fly fishing in years. This fly has tested magnificently over every species of trout at every elevation. It’s a super fly that was so successful we featured the Pink Tantalizer in a video we shot on the South Fork of the Snake River last fall.
$1.90
#16 Midnight Caddis
Midnight Caddis
Midnight Caddis the absolute perfect sundown to dark caddis fished on sheen water. It has awesome visibility and can be fished aggressively in heavy riffle. This fly was created to match the large black caddis hatch in the high country, but recently it has sparkled on low elevation rivers in twilight hours. It's a party animal after sundown!
$1.95
Owyhee River – 8/21
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Had to check out when the peaches and pears would be ready to pick in Greenleaf so at 3:00, Peach, Mudd, and I jumped in the rig and headed toward the river. Amazing the excuses a fisherman can conjure up to get to the river!
The “O” was running pretty high, murky, and lots of debris in the water. We reached the river at 5:00 and the plan was to smack a big hopper at the edges until the sun went down, then chase heads until dark. I started fishing the riffle section below the powerline hole, splatting a #6 Bullet Head Hopper as tight as possible against the edge.
The action started innocently with a big old Bruiser “Brownie” finning up to the surface and kissing my hopper, but he didn’t take. Then another fish false took. I figured it was a good sign; if you can get them to come to the surface, it would only be a matter of time until a fish made the commitment. About 5 minutes later, the commitment was made and I drove a hook in the first “Brownie” of the day, a big golden guy with a little spunk. I got him almost into the net and he plunged into deep water and kicked the hook. Long distance release I guess they call that. I dried the fly and shot it back in the riffle. Bang a big fish ate it. I set the hook; he ran to deep water and shook the hook free. Darn it!!! I was looking forward to seeing fish in the net.
I moved up and started fishing the cut banks along the willows. It didn’t take long for a “Brownie” to appear at the fly, but this time a happy ending with a beautiful 19” fish in the net. The fish that were a little underfed earlier in the summer have put on some poundage in a hurry.
I worked the rest of the riffle and landed a half dozen nice fish. It was time to go hunt heads, but I had to make a final cast at the top of the run against a shallow edge. The hopper settled in the tiny current and began its slow decent back to me. The fly was only a foot off the bank when I saw a wake and big head encompass the bug. I hooked him hard in the side of the mouth and the war was on. Out to midstream, head shaking, then down the river he went. I began to follow, and after a few dosey does, the fish and I came together at the net. Wow!! He was a nice fish over 20” and nice condition. I admired him awhile, shot a few photos, and watched him disappear in the murky water. Life is good!!!!
I bounced out of the riffle and headed down river to a spot I calculated some big “Brownies” would be targeting a caddis before dark. Upon my arrival at the hole, I immediately saw a head. I changed my tippet to 5X, tied on a Midnight Caddis, and piled over the bank.
I was in the river in no time and spotted the first fish in the glow of the surface ahead of me. I hooked him on the first cast. He was about 11” long. I spotted another fish and hooked him. He was about 12” long. At least they were getting bigger. There was another fish in close to the bank that looked bigger, so I served him a fly. Bang he ate it, and I landed a fish about 14” long. Then I caught another small fish. It was getting almost black dark and I thought I saw a big nose appear on a small inner riffle. I zinged a cast to it. Nothing. I tried again and that same big nose appeared and ate the bug. I pounded the hook to him and down the river he went; then across to the other side against the willow line. I felt him graze over a few large boulders then back over to my side of the river where he rooted into a few debris piles against the edge. I still didn’t know what he looked like or how big he was. It was dark and I finally got him in position and slid him into the net. I used the flash component of the camera to get the first good look at the fish. He was a big old dude 20” and very colorful. After a couple photos I slid him over the net and he immediately disappeared.
So it went on the “O” on August 21. I think I might go back sometime soon!!!
Flies that caught fish:
Bullet Head Hopper, size #8 & #6 I think I did better on the #8 than the #6
Bullet Hopper
$2.35
Midnight Caddis #16 That fly almost never fails after the sun goes down
Midnight Caddis
Midnight Caddis the absolute perfect sundown to dark caddis fished on sheen water. It has awesome visibility and can be fished aggressively in heavy riffle. This fly was created to match the large black caddis hatch in the high country, but recently it has sparkled on low elevation rivers in twilight hours. It's a party animal after sundown!
$1.95
Twenty Mile Lakes (Day 3) – 8/17
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Up a steep mountain chute, through a saddle, and across a ridge top, and we found ourselves at the upper lake in the chain (East Lake) to start Day 3. We fished around the lake and saw a few feeding fish beyond casting range. I caught one fish then moved down to the center lake (South Lake). Again this lake was being fished, so the obvious choice was to revisit Long Lake where the fishing was fantastic the day before.
Steve started in the southeast corner of the lake and immediately hooked and landed a beautiful 14-inch cuttie. I started about center on the southern side of the lake and on the second cast, I hooked and landed the largest fish of the trip. It was a beautiful 17+ inch rainbow. From there, we both continued to hook fish of all sizes: 8 inches to 14-inch fish. We pulled off the lake in mid-afternoon and decided to chase fish at our home lake the rest of the day.
Steve landed two nice cutties, and I landed one to finish off the day. All told, it was an awesome backpacking trip to Twenty Mile Lakes. Great scenery, ice-cold spring 40 yards from camp, and lots of rainbows and cutties. Life is good!!
Flies that caught fish:
Adams Stimulator; #16 & #14
Adams Stimulator
$1.95
Emperor Caddis – Black; #20 & #18
Emperor Series
Our #1 fishing fly for 2009 was the “Emperor” caddis series. We fished this series of flies at all elevations, from May through September and they are truly super flies. We featured the “Emperor” black caddis in a video we shot in the Idaho Wilderness called “Fishing the High Country,” and it took the place of our Black Flying Ant as the #1 fly for alpine lakes. Every place we fished, these flies it put on a show!!!!
$1.90
Flying Black Ant, #16 & #14
Ants
An enormous percentage of a trout's diet above 6,000 feet is ants. Fish cruise the edges under the canopy in search of these crunchy, high-octane morsels. The four ant patterns displayed are the ultimate weapons in the most prevalent color selections. They have tightly wound oblong body segments, beautifully crafted wings, and present themselves exactly like the natural. They have no deer hair shells over the tail so they are tough and won't fray or break like many commercial flies. You will catch more fish with less refusals using DFI ants!
$1.80
- Color:
- Black, Cinnamon, Red.
Beetle, #14
Beetle
The most realistic beetle pattern available. It has a peacock belly, a sculptured body, and exactly 6 moose hair legs. DFI beetles are killer flies in almost all waters.
$1.80
Green Sedge, #14 (Tester Fly)
Adams Caddis, #16
Adams Caddis
A gorgeous high-floating fly tied in body colors gray and dark olive with the classic grizzly and brown collar. Fish him in fast water and very aggressively. He floats like a cork and catches fish like a worm.
$1.95
- Color:
- Gray, Green.
Harriman Ranch Section (Henry’s Fork of the Snake) 9/25-26 (Dry Fly Fish Idaho)
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I’ve always found that late September on spring creek-type water is the most difficult time to fish, and the Ranch was no different than expected. The large hatches of mayflies were winding down to the point that the fish were not keying on them, and the fall hatches had not begun. The major problem though, was the salad floating in the river and the difficulty with keeping your fly free of floating debris. You could almost not fish the main current because of dense foliage covering the surface. But all issues aside, we had a pretty good fishing trip, averaging about 25 fish a day. Some of them pushed over 20 inches. We lost a lot of larger fish because they would make ridiculously mad runs to the center of the river, and your line would accumulate pounds of salad to the point where the fish would outrun your line and straighten or break off the hook. Because the hatches were mostly small bugs, our ties were on small hooks, which made landing fish extremely difficult. We found the Ranch to be a spectacular fly fishing location, but you’d be better served to fish that section of the river at a different time of year.
On the second day on the section of the river between the highway bridge to Riverside takeout, we did encounter a large midge hatch that brought the giant fish to the surface. Using our Caddidge ( dry fly fish Idaho) pattern, size 22, we hooked some pigs, but we didn’t have time to stay on the hatch because of darkness.
Here’s the selection of flies we hooked fish on:
Black Gold #14, #16
Caddis – Green #18
Midnight Caddis #16
Emperor Caddis – Black #20
Emergers with White Wing #22
Tanatalizer – Green #18
Hoppers – #8
No Hackle Mayfly – Mahogany #18
Black Gold Stimulator
$1.95 — $2.25
Adams Caddis
A gorgeous high-floating fly tied in body colors gray and dark olive with the classic grizzly and brown collar. Fish him in fast water and very aggressively. He floats like a cork and catches fish like a worm.
$1.95
- Color:
- Gray, Green.
Midnight Caddis
Midnight Caddis the absolute perfect sundown to dark caddis fished on sheen water. It has awesome visibility and can be fished aggressively in heavy riffle. This fly was created to match the large black caddis hatch in the high country, but recently it has sparkled on low elevation rivers in twilight hours. It's a party animal after sundown!
$1.95
Emperor Series
Our #1 fishing fly for 2009 was the “Emperor” caddis series. We fished this series of flies at all elevations, from May through September and they are truly super flies. We featured the “Emperor” black caddis in a video we shot in the Idaho Wilderness called “Fishing the High Country,” and it took the place of our Black Flying Ant as the #1 fly for alpine lakes. Every place we fished, these flies it put on a show!!!!
$1.90
Emergers
$1.65
- Color:
- Black Wing Black Emerger, White Wing Black Emerger, Blue Wing Olive Emerger, Brown Emerger, Gray Emerger, PMD Emerger,
Tantalizer Series
The “Tantalizer” Series of emergers maybe the most significant break through in dry fly fishing in years. This fly has tested magnificently over every species of trout at every elevation. It’s a super fly that was so successful we featured the Pink Tantalizer in a video we shot on the South Fork of the Snake River last fall.
