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Posts Tagged ‘Dry Fly Fish’
Owyhee River Report-(3/15)
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Words cannot describe the situation I found myself in when I started fishing the “O” on Thursday, March 15. I was positioned at the head of the rock garden and literally had 150 yards of pristine water, little pockets, foam lines, and current. The perfect storm for dry fly fishers because I knew I could use my Slow Stone in the riffles and foam lines and there was enough current to disguise my bug. It did not take long to get the party started. On the first cast, I hook and land a little brownie about 12 inches long. I dry my fly and cast right back to the same spot and BAM! My fly was engulfed by another small fish; and at this point a fish is a fish, but I was looking for something a little bigger. After I released the small fish, I headed to the beginning of my run because I had to get out of the school of small fish.
When I started fishing the actual run through the rock garden, there was only one word that came to mind, and that is insane. I hadn’t moved 10 feet through the garden before I had landed two nice brownies around 18 inches long. I was starting to feel a little better about the size and quality of fish through this run but little did I know the fish were only going to get bigger, fatter, and more bully. There was one section of river that I will never forget for the rest of my life. There was a gorgeous foam line forming on the roadside edge and it had the whole enchilada: Rock structure, willow banks, and fairly deep; it was the perfect spot to ambush a big brownie. My Slow Stone was floating down river on a dead drift back to me, and out from nowhere, I see a monster mouth surround my bug and I set the hook nice and firm. The war was on with a 20” plus size fish and the only drawback to the rock garden is, it is extremely difficult to fight fish because there is so much structure they can get around and rock you up. After 5 minutes, I slid the first big brownie in the net. He was extremely long but very skinny, but it was great to see a large brown. I release the fish and dry my fly and immediately started working that foam line again. I saw one of the coolest things ever—m y bug was floating along, and 10 feet from me I see a huge fish sip a BWO adult and my bug was on the exact same line as where he fed. All of a sudden that fish rises up and with no hesitation, he annihilates my Slow Stone. I set the hook; you want to talk about a very mad fish, it was ripping and roaring all over the hole and stripping line down river. I chased that fish 20 yards before he slid into my net. This was no ordinary fish on the “O,” it was as long as my net which is 24” but this fish was insanely fat and healthy with unbelievable coloration. I shot several photos of that fish and admired him a little longer and then released him. I re-tie my bug because that was six fish with two going over 20 inches, and I go right back to the same spot where I hooked the last monster and started working my bug on the foam line. On the fourth cast, it was magic at my hook; another large white mouth around my bug. With a gentle hook set, I have another hog on my line. I fight this fish around for a little while and finally net him. It was a carbon copy of the previous fish, 23-24 inches and just pig fat. I photo the fish, release him, and go right back to the run.
I fished the rock garden for 6 hours and did nothing but land giant fish one right after another. The run was absolutely loaded with fish that were looking for a big tasty morsel. After meeting up with Dad and Joe, it was apparent to me that I was not the only one having an absolute stellar day on the “O.” Joe had lost count after 25, Dad was fishing slack waters in between Joe and I, and he landed 10 or 12. The assuring aspect of the first fishing run was the size and healthiness of the fish; they were just the brute stock of the “O” brown trout. After eating a little lunch at 5:00, we head up river to fish another little riffle section.
This section was definitely not as prosperous as the last, but we still picked up 2 nice brownies in the run, but I switched my bug to our new Cicada pattern and hooked one 18” brownie with the Cicada. The Cicada is not the right pattern, but it sits real belly down in the surface film and it is the right size for a skwala pattern. By no means was it the right bug, but I was hell-bent on landing a brownie on that new tie. After fishing that run, we headed down river to the crossing.
The crossing was like a morgue, nothing on the hatch and no fish in sight. I started tossing my Cicada to holding waters just trying to pick up a fish.. I fished that section of water until dark only yielding one fish, and it was only about 12 inches long. It is never good starting your day with a 12 incher and finishing your day with the same size fish.
All in all, it was an absolute epic day on the “O” with some giant brownies in the net, and some great photos of these fish. I have no idea how many fish we all caught between Joe, Dad, and me, but I am pretty confident it was well over 60 brownies. It was a great day because I never had to tie on a bug smaller than a size #12. It was big bug fishing at its greatest on the “O,” and I feel it is quite safe to say that the skwala fishing is on right now!
Flies that caught fish:
#10 Slow Stone
#12 Cicada
Living the Dream!!
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It’s all good when your third cast of the day nets a 22” “Brownie” on a Slow Stone and by afternoon, you’re hooking one fish after another on a BWO hatch that stretches from one side of the river to the other. And so it went on the “O” March 13, 2012.
I started the morning at the Ginger Bread House with the wind swirling in all directions. I fished the boulder section on the high end of the run, and there were no fish feeding at the surface. The tie-on bug was a Slow Stone, and I was serving it over the boulders on the low side of the run. As the skwala pattern intersected a deep edge over a boulder, I see a very large fish slowly materialize at the hook, open his big mouth, and eat the bug. A soft hook set, a respectable fight, and the first “Brownie” of the day slid into the net.
I dried the fly as the wind began to intensify. Working the bug against the banks and around the boulders, I hook another small fish and land him. By the time I dried out again, the wind is gale force stripping through trees. Dust is rolling off the roadside and tumbleweeds are inundating the river. I continued to deliver the fly, and at the top of the run, I hook and land another big fish. For another hour I worked the bug and lured about five more fish to the hook, but they would come all the way up open their mouth then refuse to eat. I may have been setting the hook too soon, but the end result was 0 fish in the net. I finished at the Ginger Bread run by landing another 20” fish.
We moved locations to a run of water below the bridge at the dam. I fished the slack water while Geoff and Joe fished riffles below me. There were white caps on the slick; and even though there were a few fish rising sporadically, there were no targets in range to make a cast. I decided to walk down river and see how Geoff was doing.
As I approached Geoff’s run, I see he has a fish on, so I went way wide to make sure I didn’t boo his hole and then slipped in just in time to land a 20” for him. He was going maniac on a BWO hatch, and the fish I netted was the fifth fish he’d landed in 45 minutes. I did what all good Dad’s do…I honed in on his run of water. Geoff worked one side of the water, and I fished the far side of the river. I tied on a #20 Single Upright Wing BWO, and on the first cast, I hook and land a 16” “Brownie.” The fish on my side of the river had not been worked and they were big on the bug. I landed two more fish back to back, then Geoff hooks a monster and begins an epic fight in and out of the boulders. At one time, the fish bolts by me within 6 inches of my leg. Geoff finally lands the fish, and I came over and photo’d it.
We reposition in the river, and I immediately see a big guy peak his head up and eat. I landed the fly slightly ahead of him on a quarter-angle cast, and right on cue, he eats the bug. Fish on; and after a bully fight, I slide him into the edge of the river for photos. He’s another 20” fish with big spots and shimmering sides. I land one more fish and the hatch quits; no more targets presented themselves.
We moved down river for our final run at the fish before dark. Geoff and Joe tied on skwala patterns, and I kept my 6X tippet on and decided to continue fishing a small bug. After a few minutes, Joe yells down that there were fish eating small bugs at his location. I was the only one geared to fish a small bug, so I went up to meet Joe.
When I arrived, I could see it would be difficult to approach the fish. They were in a section of river that was very narrow and there was brush against both sides. I went to the top of the run and immediately I have two fish feeding below me. I serve the first fish a BWO No Hackle, and without hesitation, he eats the bug. It was a very lively 16” fish jumping twice and running up to a big slick. I finally work him in. I look back and the other fish is still feeding, so I server the fly. Second cast he eats, and I land him also. He wasn’t very big, about 12” long, but a nice healthy fish.
I had two more targets down river from me, but one fish wouldn’t eat, and the other took my fly and I missed him. I finished the day landing another small fish just before darkness on a BWO colored emerger!
Flies that caught fish:
BWO No Hackle #20
BWO Single Upright Wing #20
Slow Stone #12 

BWO Colored Emerger #22
Joe Bare Blog for March 13, 2012
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It was a warm morning on the Owyhee when Nate, Geoff, and I arrived. Our greatest challenge would be the high winds. We were chasing the mysterious bug that lures big “Brownies” to the surface–the skwala .
For the past two years Nate had told me stories of the big “Brownies” he would catch every season on his Slow Stone skwala pattern. Being from Southeastern Idaho and guiding and fishing on the South Fork and Henry’s Fork of the Snake River, I had never fished the skwala hatch. My tie-on fly was a DFI Slow Stone. My first cast was tight against a willow bank; the fly landed, and I made a few twitches then “BAM!” There he was—a nice 19” Brownie. I waded upstream continuing to fish the edge, another cast tight in, and “BAM!” a twin to the first brown I had caught.
How much better could things get? It was everything I had dreamed of for the last two years. I made my way upstream to a small island trying to find relief from the wind. I found a small channel with a nice run in the center. As I approached the top of the run, the wind was relentless. I was finally able to place the fly right where I wanted it. Like a bolt of lightning, a nice 18” bow devoured the Slow Stone. The battle was on after numerous jumps and hard runs, and I finally landed this football of a fish. Wow! I didn’t think the day could get any better; it got a lot better.
The wind began to subside, the Midges and BWO’s began to hatch, but I continued to fish the Slow Stone. Nate put me on one of his favorite runs for fishing a Squala: A beautiful piece of water with slow soft edges and lots of boulders. The fish were taking midges. I was tempted to change bugs, but I stuck with the Slow Stone. I spotted a fish feeding tight against the bank just above a rock. I made two casts, the fly came directly into his feeding lane both times, and both times he refused the fly. I gave him a rest and switched to a smaller version of the Slow Stone. On my first cast the fish didn’t hesitate. He rose ever so softly like he was eating a small BWO. The “Brownie” sipped the Slow Stone into his mouth. We had a dance around the rocks, but fortunately, I won the battle with a nice 20” brown in the net.
I landed several more fish in the run all on the Slow Stone, I never changed to a different pattern all day. The wind had totally died, and my cigar was tasting great. What an end to my dreams of big “Brownies” on the Owyhee squala hatch!
Flies that caught fish:
#12 & #10 Slow Stone
Owyhee River Report–A Tale of Two Bugs (3/13)
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With all the excitement of our Slow Stone pattern on the “O” and clients catching tons of fish and having fishing experiences of their life, naturally Dry Fly Innovations had to find out first how the “Brownies” were treating a skwala pattern. We showed up on the river around 10:30, cruised past the tunnel, and found our first stretch of water around the “Ginger Bread House,” (which many of you know, that run is always taken by anglers.) Dad took the high end of the riffle, Joe Bare (Mr. No Hackle) took the low end, and that left me right smack in the middle of both of them. The temperature starting out in the morning was very mild and somewhat warm; but there was only one drawback, to the morning conditions, and that was the wind. The wind was circling all around us with tumbleweeds blowing all over at mach speeds making casting and standing very difficult.
I started out in a nice rock boulder line tossing Slow Stone tight against the edges and working that bug all around holding waters. I never even had a fish come up and look at the bug. I made it just under the “Ginger Bread House” when I met the first customer that wanted a big bug. He came up in slow motion and I set the hook. I fought the fish around a little and then the first fish was in the net. He was a beautiful fish around 15 inches; he wasn’t all that big, but he fought like he was a giant. In the same line of water I hooked two more fish; the biggest fish was around 18 inches. I had no false takes which led me to believe that if you put a Slow Stone in their trough, they were going to eat it; but unfortunately, I fished about 100 yards of water only yielding three fish.
We all met back up and we headed up river in pursuit of some more “skwala” water and ended up just underneath the big slick one-half mile from the dam. Dad was very confident that the Slow Stone would be able to fool some fish because there is a gorgeous riffle that flows just beneath the big slick. I no sooner enter the water and there is a monster buffet of BWO adults and Midges everywhere; and as far as I could see, there were fish thrashing on the surface. Like an idiot, I started throwing my Slow Stone at rising fish with no success. I troughed those feeders about as good as it could be done with not one fish coming to my bug. So like what I should have done when I saw all the BWO’s on the water, I change to a small bug (BWO No Hackle #20) and I make one cast at a feeding fish in the riffle and BAM! That No Hackle was not on the water two seconds before that first big “Brownie” rolls up and takes my bug. I fight him around and land him; it was a gorgeous brown around 19-20 inches with vibrant colors. I release the fish, dry out my bug, and make another cast to a feeding fish. Like clockwork, it rolled right up on my No Hackle and ate it with very little cares in its mind. I land that fish; it was not as big as the other fish, but a fish nonetheless. My No Hackle was not holding up very well in the hard riffle, so I switched to a BWO Upright Wing #20 and started hucking it to feeding fish. It was one of those magical days on the “O” with a BWO. The fish were so keyed on that bug that they did not care if it had hackle on it or not, and I did not have to use the standard emerger. I was just on the verge of landing my fifth fish when dad comes walking down bringing the camera to photo the fish I had just landed. He was wondering how I was doing; and with a smile on my face, I told him,”They are ‘On the Olive.’” So like a dirty dog, he wades out on the far side of the riffle and starts casting a Single Upright Wing BWO. On the first cast, he lands a pretty nice fish. Dad and I did nothing for one hour but land fish in the riffle with a BWO.
I ended up pulling out around 10 fish out of that riffle with the last one being a fish for the ages. It was a gorgeous 23” brown with some awesome coloration. He was at the head of the riffle where all big fish live because they are the first to get to the feed that is coming down river. Around 6:30 we all met up again at the car and ate some lunch and headed down river to find some more “Squaller” water. We fished the section of water just under the bridge. It was not as good as the other runs, but we still landed four more fish.
All in all, it was a great day to be on the “O.” The wind kept some anglers home, so we were fortunate to fish some sections of water we have not been able to hit lately. It was a tale of two bugs: One giant skwala pattern and one petite #20 BWO. The fish were keyed to the surface even though there was a hurricane most of the day. It isn’t every day you put more fish on the bank then Dad and Joe Bare, but every once in a while I get the lucky runs of water where the fish are cooperating. If you plan on hitting the “O” before it raises, I would make sure I had plenty BWO’s and some skwalas because the “Brownies” are still focused on winter hatches, but they will take a Slow Stone!
Flies that caught fish:
BWO No Hackle #20
BWO Single Upright Wing #20
Slow Stone #10
Owyhee River Report (3/5)
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There are many reasons why you DON’T trust the weather forecast, and our fishing trip on Monday was a classic example. It was supposed to be 60 degrees plus with light wind. On the river, if it got to 60 degrees, I’d be surprised; and the wind blew like a hurricane. Oh life as a dry fly fisherman when you have to adapt to nearly impossible fishing conditions.
The small bug hatches were coming off as we arrived on the river so we went to work with a small bug. Almost immediately a light breeze began to blow, and the fish began feeding sporadically; one fish here another fish there. We had very few opportunities to square up and target a fish; and when the opportunity presented itself, the fish were fickle and picky about the bugs we were serving. So we fished the first 2 hours and only caught 3 fish with the wind continuing to build. By 2 pm, the wind had kicked up to at least 20 mph with gusts. It was obvious small bug fishing was over for the day—t he white caps across the surface of the water was guaranteeing it.
So what do you do as a dry fly fishing enthusiast in winter in the middle of a hurricane? Well, you do what I’ve always done—head for a riffle and throw a bigger bug. We had seen a few skwala floating on the water earlier in the day, but the fish were not eating them. I figured our best chance to catch a fish would be to tie on a “Slow Stone” and cast it to holding water in a riffle.
We settled in below the Power Line and started casting up river against a very stiff wind. It didn’t take long as the bug floated over submerged boulders that the first big “Brownie” rolled up and ate the bug. It was like he came out of nowhere and suddenly materialized at the hook. I landed the fish and continued to work the Slow Stone up river, but one question was answered…the fish will eat a skwala pattern on the 5th day of March. We fished the rest of the run and caught another nice fish, but the fish were very hesitant to eat the bug. I saw at least 4 other fish come to the fly that didn’t eat. The fish are not totally keyed to the bug yet, but on this windy day, our choices were few; fish a big bug or succumb to the wind and go home. For those of you that know me, the second option never came into play. Fish on……
It was 5 pm, and the wind had upgraded to absolutely ridiculous gusts, but I had one more stretch of water I had to fish, so we settled in on the low side of the river for a final effort. The wind made it totally impossible to cast up river, so I started casting across the river and feeding the fly down river on a mended cast. It was looking pretty hopeless for the first 10 minutes as the skwala floated the gentle riffle. Then all of a sudden, a giant fish head appeared at the surface and ate the bug. I set the hook and the fish immediately started shaking his head and I could feel his power. He began to move to deep water, shook his head and kicked my fly loose. Darn it…I really wanted to see that fish.
I was thinking that I had blown my last opportunity of the day to land a fish as I dried my fly and began serving it again. There was a gentle current against the bank that moved around a small boulder. The fly floated slowly around the boulder; and the second it passed, another giant “Brownie” head appeared and I could see his big mouth come open and eat the bug. I set the hook, and for the next 5 minutes, the battle was on. He fought harder than most of the large fish you catch on the “O”; nice hard runs, powerful head shakes, and lots of power. In the waning light, I slid the old “Brownie” in the net.
It was an awesome way to end a hard day of fishing. We admired the fish, shot some photos and watched his disappear back into the milky water.
Flies that caught fish:
- #22 BWO Emerger
- #22 Blood Midge
- #10 & #12 Slow Stone
Owyhee River Report (2/17)
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It was a bad day to forget the camera!! Today was nearly the perfect winter fishing day: Temperature was close to 50 degrees, very little wind, and the midge hatches started coming on before noon. Naturally as the bugs began to appear at the surface, so did the “Brownies.”
Geoff and I had run the full length of the river to the dam checking a few midge runs as we went; but when we reached the dam, there were fishermen in every run for the first mile of the river. So we settled in on a run about ¾ mile below the Girl Scout Camp. Geoff took the high side—the hole—and I took the low side. We’ve written 2 blogs for today because our fishing experiences were totally different. Geoff was in the riffle section, and I fished the lake section; and there is a totally different approach for each of the bodies of water.
I entered the river around 11:15 with zero bugs on the surface and only an occasional rising fish across a wide zone of river. I began to notice that the fish feeding were almost all very close to the bank. It was a tell-tale story of what was to come.
I waded the river and settled in on a foam-covered inlet where I had seen a few fish rise earlier. I watched the foamy surface for a few minutes, and a fish rose; then a long break and another fish surfaced. The fish were there, but as often happens in frog water, they were patrolling—looking for the occasional midge at the surface. So I decided to try a technique I’ve sued successfully on the “O” before. The fish were not rising often enough to target them, so I softly casted into the general area where the fish were and gently moved the fly to create a small commotion at the surface. Fish feel those tiny wakes from your fly and migrate to the movement. They spot the bug, rise, and eat it. It takes a lot of patience to fish this method.
It didn’t take long, and out of no where, a small brownie darted up and ate my BWO Colored Emerger #22. I landed him, ginked the shuck, and landed another small fish. I repeated the operation, but this time a bigger guy came calling. I could see the small, green shuck above the surface as the brownie rolled up and made it disappear. I landed him and slowly started working the soft edges of the river. For the first time in a while, I looked up river; and to my surprise, there were fish beginning to feed throughout the 200 yards between Geoff and me. Most of the fish were feeding tight against the bank. Some of the most challenging fishing is trying to fool big fish on a shallow edge in totally calm water.
I moved up river to a zone where there were multiple fish feeding along a boulder-strewn edge. Some of the fish were actually feeding in such shallow water that the top of their tails and dorsal fins were out of the water. I carefully slipped into the river below the fish and targeted a large brownie that was vigorously feeding the edge. If you were to try a cast directly on that fish, he would immediately bolt to deep water and disappear. I softly casted about 3 feet outside the fish, let the line settle, and twitched the merger ever so gently, then stop and again twitch the bug. All of a sudden I see the whole side of the fish bee lining for my hook; and without hesitation, he eats. I set the hook, the fish bolts to deep water, and a long bully fight pursues. I finally land her. She was a gorgeous, healthy fish about 18 inches long with a lot of golden yellow coloration on her belly. I watched her swim away and I readdressed the bank where the fish were feeding. There were more targets.
Immediately I hook another big brownie, but he wrapped me around a boulder as he was headed for deep water and broke me off. My tippet was totally shredded, so I had to retie and replace the BWO emerger. After retying, the fishing went nuts. A school of fish started feeding in the middle of the river in slow current. I picked them one after another until they moved on. Some of the fish were juveniles in the 9-13 inch range, and some were Owyhee hogs with all their bully power.
There were still fish feeding on the shoreline, so I went back to stalking fish in the shallows. It takes a little more time between fish because you can’t cast the fly to their nose. You have to land it in proximity then coax them to the fly. It’s fun though; you’re looking right at your bug and all of a sudden, the fish appears and blindsides your offering.
And so the day went until about 5:30 and the hatch began to wane. By mid-afternoon, it became apparent why the fish were keying on my BWO emerger. There was a small hatch of fairly large BWO (size 20 plus) that came off. The predominant bug on the water was a size 26 midge, but the occasional large BWO was a target for the fish when they had the opportunity.
I ended up landing 15 to 20 fish, but the impressive part was the size of some of the fish. There were at least 4 fish over 20 inches and one guy that spanned 6 inches beyond the inside of my net, which is 17 ½ inches wide.
Flies that caught fish
BWO Colored Emerger, Size 22
Emergers
$1.65
- Color:
- Black Wing Black Emerger, White Wing Black Emerger, Blue Wing Olive Emerger, Brown Emerger, Gray Emerger, PMD Emerger,
Blood Midge Size 22 (I changed this fly late in the day when I was no longer seeing BWO at the surface. It immediately started catching fish also.
Blood Midge
$1.65
Owyhee River Report (2-17-2012)
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The riffle section was nothing short of stellar on Friday. From the time I started walking up river, I was seeing fish feeding on the far side of the river. It did not take long to see what was driving this hatch. There were midges everywhere, some were quite small—around the #24 mark, but there were some bigger midges in the mix. My tie-on bug for the morning was a #22 Caddidge. When I reached the top end of the hole, I was able to sneak into the water and get above the feeding fish and get nice casts down on them. The first target I was going for was in between two boulders and fish were feeding very aggressively. It took three casts to trough that Brownie but there was little refusal from that fish on the Caddidge. I set the hook gently on the fish and he did not like that too much, so the battle was on. I was able to get control of his head and get him out of the hole so he would not spook the other feeding fish. After a few minutes and a few nice runs, I had a gorgeous, fat “brownie” in the net. Of all the days to forget the camera, I took the 20” brownie out of my net and revived him a little, and like a flash of lightning, he bolted. I was drying out my fly and looked back to the same spot where that fish had come from and saw three more feeding fish With a huge smile, I headed back to my ambush spot and started to cast to the feeders.
I put the Caddidge over the first feeding fish’s head and nothing. I repeated this process three more times and no success. I switched flies to the Black Emerger Black Shuck #22 and put it over the feeder’s head several more times. No luck. At this point I am confused because the fish were actively feeding, but they would not take my midge imitations. So I switched out to a #22 BWO No Hackle. On the first cast it was drifting gently down and the first feeder in line just annihilated my BWO. It wasn’t as big of a fish, but it had 10 times more fight in him. So after a few minutes, another gorgeous fish in the net. I released the fish and looked right back to the same spot and still saw aggressive feeders. So back across the river into my ambush location I went to see if I could fool another Brownie.
When I returned, I still kept hucking the BWO No Hackle, but it was not fooling any fish. At the top end of the run, there was a tremendous BWO hatch coming off and big BWOs at that—probably around the #18 mark. The fish were not keying on the adult so I switched to the BWO Emerger #20, and that is when the day really began to unfold itself on the “O.” I had been using the wrong bug all morning, but it didn’t take long to find the bug that they could not refuse. At this point I had fish inside, middle, and the other bank where fish were feeding. All you had to do was trough the fish and you would hook a Brownie almost every time. They were absolutely on the BWO Colored Emerger #20. After landing 5 fish in a row, I was yet to move one foot down river towards dad. When he looked up and saw me in the exact same spot I had started, he was wondering what I was doing. There is no sense in getting in a big hurry when there are aggressive feeding fish in front of you.
I fished the last section of the run around 4:30, and that is when I met back up with dad. He told me how many he had caught and I told how many I had caught. We had a little lunch and then decided to head down river where dad had started and I fish it until dark. I had on a Blood Midge #22 and I was just stripping it like I would on a high mountain lake. I ended catching 3 more fish in the run before dark; the only drawback to that was the largest fish was 9 inches and the smallest was around 7 inches. Looking back on it, I wish I had caught my smallest fish in the morning and the hogs in the afternoon, but a fish is a fish and they are all fun to reel in.
By the end of the day I ended up hooking and landing 10 fish and lost 3. It was an absolute gorgeous day to be on the river and the fishing gods were on our side because that was the longest running hatch I have seen this winter. We were able to fish in a hatch for 6 hours, which is unheard of in the winter time. It was a great day to be a dry fly fishing enthusiast with multiple heads to serve your bug!
Flies that caught fish:
BWO Colored Emerger #20
Emergers
$1.65
- Color:
- Black Wing Black Emerger, White Wing Black Emerger, Blue Wing Olive Emerger, Brown Emerger, Gray Emerger, PMD Emerger,
Blood Midge #22
Blood Midge
$1.65
BWO No Hackle #22
BWO No Hackle
$2.05
Caddidge #22
Caddidge
Introducing--the "Caddige." It's a brilliant wintertime midge fished in the soft foam lines, and it's a dynamite early-spring, dark caddis. I have seen it land giant fish in both seasons. Tied on a Tiemco #200R hook, it will hold that big guy. Take your time!!! Size #22 only.
$1.90
South Fork of the Boise River Report- (2-9)
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Oh, the South Fork of theBoiseRiver. She can deliver the fruits of her riffles and structure water in the form of large trout and lots of them; but in the heart of winter, there are days on a dry fly that can test both your intelligence and skills. So it was on the South Fork on 2/9/12. The hatches were sparse and varied with midges being the predominant hatch. The BWO’s made a meager and short appearance in the afternoon. There were never quite enough bugs to totally commit the fish to the surface.
You do two things on slow days that generally pay off: First, you cover lot of river; and second, you must optimize every opportunity. When a feeding fish presents itself, take your time, cautiously approach the fish, and set up your delivery so that the fish will only see your dry fly and none of the leader or line attached to it. Geoffrey and I started our day on the islands below Cow Creek and searched the slicks and quiet edges for fish. After an hour with zero fish activity, we moved on to the Danskin Section. At roughly noon, we found ourselves in a pod of fish sipping adult midges. I had a BWO Colored Emerger #22 as a tie-on and decided to try it before changing. Second cast, bingo! Fish on. He runs to deep water and shakes the #22 hook loose. Darn it! Next cast another fish takes, clears the pod, and we land him. After liberally ginking the emerger shuck, I see a large fish feeding right on the edge of heavy current; on the second cast, he roles up and eats the bug and I land him.
The fish were still feeding, so I served the bug to a few fish they refused to take. I changed to a Caddidge and immediately hooked another fish and landed him. I’d been lucky so far in that the fish hadn’t spooked, but my luck run out when I hooked the next fish and he jumped three times in the middle of the pod of fish. I landed the fish, but when I turned back to the feeding pod, they had totally disappeared. I waited; then casted to where the fish were, but nothing came to the surface. After 10 minutes I resolved to the idea the fish were gone, so I headed down river in search of the next pod.
I combed a half mile of river without another target to cast to. I was almost to the island below Danskin before I spotted another fish. I pulled in below the fish and recognized a small smattering of BWO’s on the water. I tied on a new tester fly (duel upright wing BWO #20) and waited for the fish to reappear. The fish never resurfaced so I decided to deliver the fly to exactly where I’d seen him rise. The fly was floating perfectly and I was at an angle where I could see where my fly was clear to the bottom of the river. All of a sudden I see a very large rainbow moving to the surface in slow motion toward my bug. He kissed the surface and ate the bug. After he rocked me up and raced down river, I finally put him in the net. Wow! He was a gorgeous 18-inch rainbow in all his splendid winter coloring. I thought to myself, if I don’t catch another fish, this fish has made my day.
I addressed the hole again, searching for another feeder; and sure enough, in a soft foam line, I see another large fish rise. I hit him on the nose and instantly I see his head appear as he drug down the fly. Fish on; and after another knock-down, drag-out fight, he slid into the net.
I turned back in the hole and hunted the surface for another target. After a few minutes of hunting, another big fish wallowed right on the edge of heavy current out from a large boulder. I casted my bug directly to the big rainbow…no takes. The current was odd and it was pulling my fly away from the fish. On the fourth cast I couldn’t see my fly, but I saw the fish and I set the hook. Fish on; and after a wild ride, I slid him into the net.
After admiring the fish and shooting photos, I restudied the fishing run. There were no fish feeding so I patiently waited and hunted. After ten minutes I decided to take a few blind casts then move on. There was a soft current about six feet off the bank, and I landed the fly gently and watched the fly float into soft water. I could see the small dual wings sticking straight up and I was thinking that wow that looks exactly like a real bug. In that moment I see the head and red gill cover of a fish as he ate the bug. I landed the fish just as one of our clients was walking the trail above me. I invited him to the river bank where we viewed the fish. I gave him one of the Duel Wing BWO’s I’d been using and let him take over my hole in hopes he’d catch another fish.
I moved down river enjoying the flash backs of the four fish. The smallest of the four was 17 inches and the largest was a fraction short of 20 inches. The afternoon was waning and I never got another chance at a fish.
Flies that caught fish:
#22 Caddidge
#22 BWO Colored Emerger
#20 Duel Upright Wing Mayfly (Tester Fly) You may see this bug in our inventory if it continues to catch large 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