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Posts Tagged ‘Dry Fly Fish’
South Fork of the Boise River Report- (1-26-2012)
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I don’t know if it was the 40 head of elk that ran across the main highway in front of me, or the bald eagle perched on a pine branch, or the numerous deer, or the chuckle of chukars, or the dark sullen river, or the spectacular sunset that made my day special. Maybe, and best of all, it was the large rainbows sipping olives and midges at the surface. It was all good!!
A first note: if you’re headed for the South Fork, there is a lot of winter going on up there. Snow levels at the dam are more than a foot; and at Danskin, there is a solid 9 inches of wet, heavy snow.
I started my day below Danskin on a big slick, watching the surface for heads. As I sat on a large rock on the south side of the river, I noticed numerous midges size #22 floating past my legs, and the thought occurred to me…why is there not a big rainbow pulled up along this edge indulging himself? I tied on a Caddidge size #22 and began watching the edges below me; and sure enough, I see a fish right against the bank sipping bugs. He was only 20 feet away, so I pulled line, stood up, and waited until he surfaced again. He peaked his head up on the gentle current 3 feet off the bank, and I shot a cast just above and let the Caddidge slowly drift to his zone. I could see the bug perfectly as it slowly moved toward the fish. His head came up, my fly disappeared, and the first fish of the day was bolting to the middle of the river. After a good run, a couple of jumps, and a good fight, he was in the net. Not a giant fish, but totally gorgeous in full winter colors. I hugged the south edge for a little longer with no targets, so I moved on up river. The hatches were not intense enough to lure the fish to the surface so I continued to hunt for that subtle rise.
I moved into a stretch of water above the islands and immediately saw fish at the surface; and along with that. I saw the first BWO size #22 on the surface of the water. I changed flies to a BWO Single Upright Wing #22 and served it to the first fish. He didn’t take. I noticed a combination of both midges and BWO at the surface. I changed to a Caddidge #22. The fish wouldn’t eat it. I changed to a BWO No Hackle #22 and the fish wouldn’t take it. I thought maybe they’re keying on the emerger. Bingo! First cast I hook the rainbow and land him. Then I hook and land three more fish in a row on the emerger.
I was approaching the top the run and there was a large fish feeding between 2 big boulders. The current was odd—it kept moving my fly away from the fish. On about the 5th cast, I put it on him and he slowly rolled and ate the bug. I set the hook and he went berserk, jumping multiple times and racing to the middle of the river, then down stream. I fought him for a long time, moved down river, and finally had him coming to the net. He began wallowing and rolling, and right at the net, he kicked me loose. Darn it…I wanted to photo him real bad. Well that’s fishing, and I turned back to the run where a few fish had been feeding. I approached the location and they had quit feeding. I waited 10 minutes and the fish never returned to the surface. I’m real sure the fish I had previously hooked caused enough commotion to put the rest of the fish down. I not only lost him, but he booed the hole. Darn it!!
I moved up river and scouted for 300 yards and never saw a fish, so I drove up river to a hole I call the “Idiot Hole.” It’s about a mile above Cow Creek and I think most people call it the Slide Hole. It’s a big, calm slick and there are almost always fish feeding there, but they are smart and cautious. Like normal, there were fish feeding there so I decided to give them a try.
Most the fish were on the low end of the hole and the only thing I could identify at the surface were tiny midges. I’d been doing pretty well with the BWO Emerger #22 so I decided to try it first. I waded in carefully, but the fish immediately stopped feeding. I position so I could long cast to the closest fish and quietly waited. A few minutes later a fish rose in range and I hit him on the nose. Immediately he ate the bug and I landed him. I dried out and moved back into position. Another fish rose and I hooked him also, but he kicked me loose. There were a cluster of fish feeding way across the river so I hucked the fly as far as I could to their spot. I didn’t get a take until the fly began to skate at the end of the drift. Then Bingo!! A fish ate the bug and I landed him.
I ended my day 5:45 on the “Idiot Hole,” and I fished the hatch until it completely quit. For the heart of winter, it wasn’t a bad day. I ended up hooking 13 fish and landing 11. All the fish caught were hooked on a #22 BWO Emerger except the first fish. I landed it with a Caddidge #22. The fish were not interested in an adult bug on this day.
South Fork of the Boise River Report Below Neil Bridge- 12/11
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Wow! It’s pretty winter like at the confluence of the South Fork and the reservoir. The reservoir is frozen all the way up to a quarter mile from the river. The banks of the river are covered with permanent frost because the sun doesn’t hit the water all day long in many places. The eyes on your rod freeze up every 13th cast, so you only cast to a specific fish. This doesn’t sound much like ideal weather conditions to dry fly fish, but when your box has no nymphs and nothing that sinks, you hunt for heads.
I reached the river in early afternoon and began roaming the banks looking for the onset of the BWO hatch and the inevitable pods of fish that follow the bugs on the surface. By 2:00 I had not seen one fish peak his head up even though the BWO’s were sporadically popping on the riffles and slicks. There was a fisherman at the confluence until 3:00, and I passed him as he was leaving the river.
I studied the confluence for a few minutes and recognized the place to position for best coverage was across the river. I waded the river and set up along an edge of large boulders. Some of the large boulders were in the water and they extend out to the center of the river. I was thinking to myself this would be a perfect place for fish to pod up; and all of a sudden, a fish’s head appears and eats a BWO. Then another fish broke the surface out a little further. I moved into position and served my BWO Comparadun (Tester Fly) to the first fish. No take. After 3 perfect casts to the fish, he wouldn’t eat so I changed flies to a BWO No Hackle. First cast, in slow motion the big rainbow sips the #22 BWO. Fish on! He jumps a couple of times and runs in and out of the boulder patch and finally I net him.
I look back to the feeding zone and all active fish had stopped feeding. The rainbow I had landed put the rest of the fish down. I waited a few minutes and another fish surfaced. I served him immediately and he ate the bug. I landed him and began searching for the next target. There was too much commotion and the fish vanished under the surface.
I looked up river, and bingo, two more fish were feeding in mid river out from a large boulder. I moved up above the boulder in casting range and waited. Seconds later the inside fish broke the surface and I put a cast on him. Without hesitation, I see his bright red cheeks appear as he ate the offering. I land him and search for the next fish. Almost completely across the river, I see a rise. I wade out and deliver. I missed. On the third cast I hit his trough and he eats. I land him.
I scan the hole top to bottom and see no fish. I waited a few minutes; and right in from of me about 18 feet away, a fish eats. I hit him on the nose and hooked him on the first cast and land the fish.
In the gray of late afternoon, the surface of the water became fishless and I waited for the next customer to raise his head. Down river form where I started, I see a fish rise, so I bounce down the bank to set up on the fish. I waited and the fish never resurfaced. I was about ready to move back up in the hole and the fish reappeared in the same spot I had seen him before. I served the No Hackle; and as it gently moved over to the bank and on the final glide to the ne,t he kicked the fly loose and I watched him swim away. Along distance release they call that.
I roamed the banks for a while longer and no other fish presented themselves as a target. On 12/10/2011 the hatch window was short, and there were a limited amount of fish working the surface. I saw the first fish at 3:15, hooked 6 fish and at 4:03, the action was over. Under the same conditions, I’ve seen hundreds of targets to cast to; but every new day is different when you dry fly fish the winter.
Fly that Caught Fish:
BWO No Hackle #22
12 Days of Christmas Sale- Day 5
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On the Fifth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me: No, not 5 golden rings but mayflies! Hands down, the best mayfly selection of patterns on the market from DFI. December 9, 10% off all Single Upright Wing, No Hackle, Searcher, and Parachute patterns. If you need to match a hatch anywhere, rest assured DFI will have the pattern, color, and size you will need to chase a hatch!
12 Days of Christmas Day 2
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On the Second Day of Christmas my true love gave to me: Emergers that catch fish like a gill net. On December 6, 10% off all emerger patterns found in the DFI catalog.
SF Boise River Report 11/27
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I saw a splash behind a boulder and knew it was a fish. I moved up and out to make a cast to it. Second try, BWO right ahead of the boulder, bang! A fish eats the bug. It was a good start.
Now an hour has gone by, and I haven’t hooked another fish. All of a sudden there are adult BWOs on the surface and fish there to eat them. The action happens quickly in winter. One moment the surface of the river is barren, the next there are fish noses all over. I targeted the first fish and hoped I had the right bug. Bingo it was! Fish on!! I land him and dry my fly. I spot another fish and cast to him, nothing. I serve again dead-on the fish. Fish on!! He zings me into my backing, down and across the river, and then rocks me up on the other side of the current. He goes on the right side of the boulder and after a noble fight, I land the fish. It was a beautiful deep red male.
I land three more fish in the hatch and all of a sudden the fish disappear from the surface. So I headed down stream in search of heads. There was still a splash of sunshine hitting the river below me so I thought maybe the hatch would extend there. I guessed right; and as I approach the run, I see three fish feeding tight against the bank along a bouldered edge. I chose the fish farther upstream and served the BWO Comparudun (tester fly) to the fish. First cast he eats it and I land him; but in the process of fighting the fish, I put the other two fish down. I waited and watched the surface, and sure enough, one of the fish peaked his head up. I immediately serve my fly slightly above the fish. The fly settles and slowly drifts over the fish; and right on cue, he eats the bug. He’s a smaller fish so I land him quickly and hunt for the third fish. That fish never showed himself, so I hunted a hundred and fifty yards of river without seeing another fish to target.
Earlier in the day I had seen a large male fish with bright, ultra red sides feeding in a deep riffle that I couldn’t get a cast to, so I thought I would revisit that fish just below me. I stood above his lair for a few minutes and he had totally settled back to the bottom. So I thought, what the heck, I’ll just let my BWO drift over the exact place I had seen him feed earlier. The sun was setting and there was a strange reddish glow on the surface of the water. The reflections were such that I could see my fly perfectly as it softly landed on the water and began to float on the surface. It gently bobbed and turned as it rode the riffle. All of a sudden! Bang!! The same fiery red-sided fish I had seen earlier does a half-body out take on the olive. I set the hook and all hell breaks loose…down river in a scream across the river in a roar and one nice jump in between. I finally land the fish about 40 yards down river from where I hooked him. I spent my final moments of the fishing day taking photos and admiring the fish. As I watched him swim way, I was reminded of how much I love to fish the winter.
Flies that caught fish:
1) BWO No Hackle #20
2) BWO Comparadun #20 (Tester Fly)
3) Baetis Comparadun #20 (Tester Fly)
4) BWO Emerger #22
SF Boise River Report (11-12)
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What do you tell friends when they ask if they can go fishing with you? I politely let them know that winter dry fly fishing is one of the world’s greatest phenomena, but the conditions are harsh, must use small bugs, and it is cold. They heeded none of my advice, and on Saturday, my neighbors and good friends got a taste of winter dry fly fishing on the South Fork of the Boise River. It was an experience they will never forget for the rest of their lives.
We left at 8:45 am and made our way to the river. It had snowed and rained the night before, leaving the road conditions very treacherous. We had the truck in 1st gear and had four-wheels high on, just creeping down into the river. When we reached the river, we had stopped on top of the hill overlooking the confluence. At 11:00 there was nothing happening on the surface and no feeding fish, so we decided to hit the stretch of water that we refer to as the “plateau” and try to stimulate a fish with a Black Gold (AKA South Fork Killer) or Black Searcher. When we walked down the trail and hit the water, we separated and crossed the river in pursuit of rainbows, but we had only been down there 20 minutes before the first big wave of Blue Wing Olives started to come off. By 11:45, we were walking out of the plateau hole and making our way back to the confluence, because it was only a matter of time before the hatch would take off and that is the place to be.
We reached the confluence at 12:15, and one person crossed the river and the other stayed on the road side. I gave them each a small assortment of Blue Wing Olives (no hackles and upright wing) and basically let them know how to approach the fish and cast to them. It was sink or swim because it is impossible to fish crystal, gin-clear water with 3 guys. So I left them at the top of the confluence, and I made my way out around and down. I barely reached the section that I wanted to fish before I was hearing those two yelling with excitement because they were catching fish. One of the guys who was with us had never fly fished before and had never caught a fish on a fly rod. I think he was the one yelling because he was absolutely elated that fish can be caught in the winter time on a size #22 dry fly.
The hatch was going strong and the fish were keyed on the Blue Wing Olive; I don’t think it mattered what size you had on or what style because every Blue Wing Olive pattern I had with me landed fish. At any given time we had hundreds of fish feeding out in front of us. The only real drawback to the afternoon was the wind was blowing about 15 mph up river which made it very difficult to cast down on the feeding fish. For every 5 casts you might have hit the trough you were aiming for and out of those 5 casts you would put down fish almost every time. Every once in a while you would make a bad cast and you would get lucky because another fish would take it.
All in all, it was a fantastic day on the river and all things came together like they should have. The hatch ran strong for 4 hours and there were fish on the surface throughout the hatch. My friends caught and landed fish in one of the most difficult days to fish I have seen in a long time. Just because there is a hatch going on means nothing, because when Mother Nature is involved, you are pretty helpless.
If you are a devout fly fishing enthusiast and you have wintered your rod and reel, you are making a tremendous mistake. The fishing is insane; right now and every day until ice covers the river, there will be a BWO hatch. Fish will be at the surface in great numbers actively feeding on them. If two rookies can go out and hook and land fish, then anyone can! The conditions were raunchy and cold, but they paid no attention to that, and they went right out and landed fish. I strongly suggest getting some BWO’s, a hooded sweatshirt, stocking cap, and gloves and go dry fly fish the South Fork of theBoiseRiverbecause it is prime to have the time of your life!!
Flies that caught fish
- BWO No Hackle #22, #20
- BWO Upright Wing #22, #20
- BWO Emerger #20
- BWO Comparadun #20 (Tester Fly: Awesome fly maintenance free; an absolute killer!)
SF Boise River Report -10/31
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When I left Meridian it was overcast, 50 degrees, and no wind; by the time I reached the river, the sun was shining and the wind was blowing about 20 mph. The only positive note is the wind was blowing up river so you could still work a large bug. So I tied on a Black Searcher and served it to holding water.
The first stretch of water I fished was perfect Searcher water with a gentle riffle over a boulder field and a deep edge. It didn’t take long to start luring big fish off the edge to the Searcher, and I started the day by landing 7 fish in a row without losing a fish. It really helps that the Searcher is tied on a size #16 2312 Tiemco hook—it grabs a lot more meat than smaller hooks.
Even though the wind was stiff, the BWO’s were hatching all day and accumulating against the edge of the river. At times I’d get a shot at big fish right against the bank taking advantage of the consolidated bugs. You’ll hook almost every one of those fish, because they are actively feeding, and a nice soft quarter-angle cast will get him to take most of the time.
After fishing the lower end of the run, I changed flies to a Black Gold #16 because it’s easier to see in faster choppy water. There’s something really cool about watching a dry fly ride the surface in faster water, and all of a sudden there’s a big rainbow that materializes and eats the bug. I had that experience a lot as I finished out the rest of the run in fast choppy water.
I was hoping all day that the wind would settle and I’d have an opportunity to fish a small bug in a hatch, but it just didn’t happen. So I stayed with what you could do….fish a Black Gold or a Searcher upstream with the wind. That worked well also as I continued to catch fish until around 6:00 pm and then called it a day.
Flies that caught fish:
1) #16 Black Gold Stimulator
2) #16 Black Searcher
SF Boise River Report 10-26
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Blog entered by Joe Bare (fly tyer for Dry Fly Innovations)
It was my original intention to fish with Nate and Geoff for a couple of days, but after my experience fishing the SF Boise River on 10/25, I had to fish that river again. Nate and Geoff had to work, so Nate let me borrow all his fly boxes and I headed for the river alone.
I hiked the river below Danskin to the end of the trail and slipped out to the river. I watched and saw some very large rainbows feeding in a narrow foam line against the bank. I waded the river above the hole, moved down river, then crossed back over underneath the feeding fish. My tie-on bug was a Black Searcher, which Nate said could work well early in the day. He was right as I hooked the first three fish I served the bug to. At the top of the run, the fish became hesitant on the Searcher, so I changed over to the Baetis Soft Hackle, which DFI will soon be marketing. I ginked it like a dry fly and dead drifted in the soft foam line. Immediately a fish ate the bug and I landed him, dried the fly, and served it again to what looked like a giant fish. Again the fish took, and the war was on, but it was a war I didn’t win. After a few major runs up and down the river, the fish showed himself at the surface in the middle of the river. He was a monster, but another plunge into the depths kicked the hook loose. Darn!!
I landed another fish on the soft hackle in that hole then began working my way up river. A quarter mile up river, I spotted a fish feeding on a hatch of BWO’s, so I selected a Baetis adult out of Nate’s box and served it to the fish. Instantly the fish targeted the bug and slowly rose up and took. I landed the fish and moved on up river to a long deep slick.
There were fish feeding for over a hundred yards up river and the water was covered with BWO’s. I changed flies to a BWO No Hackle, and I got the opportunity to fish some of the bugs I produce for DFI. Wow! The rest of my day was lights out. Almost every fish I got a good delivery on ate the bug. I guess I didn’t realize how devastating my No Hackle can be in a BWO hatch.
I left the river shocked at the number of gorgeous, large fish I had hooked. Dry Fly Innovations’ dry flies are like no other bugs I have ever fished; and every time Nate introduces me to a new line of his flies, I’m dumbfounded by the fish I catch!
Flies that caught fish:
Black Searcher #16
Black Gold Stimulator #16
PMD Searcher #16
BWO No Hackle #22
Baetis Upright Wing Mayfly #18
Baetis Soft Hackle #18 (tester fly)
South Fork of the Boise River Report 10-25
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Wow!! A river CANNOT be any more gorgeous than the South Fork in the fall; dressed in all the fall colors being reflected from the surface of the river like a spectacular portrait. Then mixed in with all the eye-popping beauty are big rainbows finning in the crystal clear water. Life is good!!
We added a new member to the fishing crew, Geoff, as he got a day off to fish with Joe Bare and I. We started our day above the slide on what we call the “Idiot Hole.” There are always fish feeding there, but they are extremely difficult to catch. The run lived up to its name as it sent the three of us back to the car with our tail tucked between our legs. If it wouldn’t have been for the three fish we caught at the top of the hole, we would have started off skunked.
We moved up river and the three of us split off to fish three different short runs of water. There was an unusual amount of people on the upper river for a Tuesday, and our plans got modified to different runs to fish than we anticipated. After a 2-hour excursion, the fish were acting a little stubborn. Between the 3 of us, we only landed 5 fish.
We moved down river to theDanskinBridgein hopes there would be less people fishing the low end of the river. Our guess was right as we found only one car parked at the trail head. Again we divided, spread out over three runs of water and began the evening fish. Geoff took the section around the bridge, and Joe and I took off down river.
Joe was testing our new Baetis Soft Hackle pattern in a section of water about ½ mile down river from the road. He had barely started when I heard him howling, “Big Fish” as he wrestled with a wild big rainbow. The Soft Hackle was a monster success on its maiden voyage as Joe continued to hook fish.
Meanwhile Geoff was working the riffle above the bridge on a Peacock Caddis and it didn’t take long for him to hook the first fish and then he hooked another fish. As he was landing the second fish, he looked below him and just above the bridge, there were numerous fish feeding in the center of the river. He landed the fish, crossed the bridge, made a big loop above the fish and began to fish down river into the hatch. He recognized the fish were in an emerger-type bite so he guessed BWO Emerger #22, and wow was he right. Immediately, he hooks a fish in a leading edge of the school of fish. He lands that fish then 2 more on the emerger and notices a large portion of the fish were beginning to feed on the adult stage of the hatch. The water was covered with BWO’s; their little sail boat wings rocking on the gentle riffle. He tied on a Single Upright Wing BWO #22 and began serving it to noses. One after another he picked the fish off, spending most of his time trying to land big fish. The hatch lasted for an hour and a half and he made the best of every second of it. It’s a cool experience to run a hatch through all stages and never quit hooking fish.
While Joe and Geoff were indulging themselves in fish I stepped in the river, looked upstream and immediately see fish rising ahead of me. I had an Adams Caddis Green #16 tied on so I began serving it to the feeders. They were reluctant, but I managed to get one fish to eat the bug. After landing the fish I changed to a Black Gold #16 (AKA: South Fork Killer) and even though the fish were a bit hesitant to eat the bug, I started hooking and landing fish. I finally recognized that the fish were keyed on BWO, but the water structure and current made it almost impossible to fish a small bug. I continued to hook fish on the Black Gold until I reached a small rock garden with 2 big fish feeding between 2 large boulders. I served the fly to the biggest customer and he slowly swerved sideways and ate the bug. After a 40-yard chase down river, I was admiring the first 20-plus inch fish of the day in the net.
I continued to fish the Black Gold through the rest of the run. About 1 in 5 fish took the fly; I walked over the rest of the fish. In the last stretch of the run, I had finally reached water structure to fish a small bug. There were 2 fish feeding at the top of the run and the fish on the right was big, so I put a target on him. I tried a BWO Single Upright Wing ….no luck, a BWO No Hackle…no luck. As a last chance I tried a BWO Emerger, and on the second cast, “Bingo” the fish ate the bug. After a very respectable fight, I scooped my last fish of the day in the net. She was a ponched-out female about 18 inches long and totally gorgeous.
We finally all met back at the car with a fishing story and a memory that will last a long time.
Flies that caught fish:
1) Black Gold #16
2) Black Searcher #16
3) AdamsCaddis Green #16
4) AdamsCaddis Peacock #16
5) BWO Emerger #22
6) BWO No Hackle #22
7) BWO Upright Wing #22 & #20
8) Baetis Soft Hackle #18 (Tester fly soon to be available)
9) Black Emerger (Black Shuck) #22
Owyhee River Report 10-24
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One of our fly tyers, Joe Bare from Idaho Falls, spent a couple of days fishing with us; and our first pit stop was the “O.” That river right now may be as diverse as any water in the country. There are still summer bugs hanging around, and the winter bugs are beginning to pop, and that makes for challenging fishing. What are the fish keying on? Is it a #26 midge or a #22 BWO, or could it be a hopper still abundant along the edges of the river? One thing is certain…every section of the river is producing numerous hatches, and the fish are at the surface eating. The question is …what is it they are eating?
After serving a basketful of bugs to feeding fish, we figured it out; and like many times in the past, it boils down to emergers. The fish suck them off the surface, and even the large fish displace very little water when they do it.
We reached the river around 11:00. About a mile above the hot springs, there were “Brownies” on a tiny midge hatch. The only issue was the wind storming up river at about 20 mph. We fooled a couple of fish feeding right against the bank and headed up river to the more protected areas in the canyon out of the wind.
About mid river the fish were all over the surface and we settled in on the boney stretch just above the bluffs. After a few fly changes, we hooked 5 giants: 2 on a BWO Emerger #22, 2 on a Caddidge #22, and 1 on a Black Emerger with a black shuck. The hatch cooled and we moved up river.
Our final stop was just below the DamVillage, and we entered the water to a myriad of different hatches. There were midges, mahoganies, callibaetis, BWO, and a multitude of suspended emergers. I had a hunch about a bug I hadn’t tried at all, so I tied on a Blood Midge Emerger #22. The wind was still blowing and it was creating a film line against the bank that extended about 10 feet out. The fish were feeding right on the edge of the film line. On the second cast, I hooked a big old “Brownie” and landed him. I dried out and immediately hooked another big fish. As I fought the fish, I yelled to Joe to come and get some Blood Midges. We admired the “Brownie” in the net, Joe tied on the midge, and we both went back to fishing.
The action was hot and heavy. The fish were keyed on the bug; but to entice the strike, you had to move the bug on short strokes, then the fish would aggressively smack the Blood Midge. We fished until dark and the action never stopped. You’d catch 2 or 3 small fish and then tie into an Owyhee monster.
So our day ended as it should have…..catching fish like a couple people who didn’t know any better!!!
Flies that caught fish:
1) Caddidge #22
2) BWO Emerger #22
3) Black Emerger (Black Shuck)
4) Black Emerger (White Shuck) #22
5) BWO No Hackle#22
6) Blood Midge Emerger #22 (major player right now)
7) Baetis Tantalizer #18
