A lesson learned - - again.
Planned on taking a long walk to a place where I could wade the WB at 1750 CFS. After working in the yard for three hours in the hot sun, that plan was saved for a cooler day.
Decided to fish the UEB and EB. I've seen no one wade fishing there and only a very few boats. Now I know why. Saw no bugs or rising fish above Shinhopple, a few bugs and small fish rising between Shinhopple and Harvard and nothing below Oxbow Campground.
Started at the Pleasant Valley pool. Saw a couple of rising fish. The first fish ate my fly but it came out of his mouth when I hooked. Worked up to the second fish and he ate the third cast. Once again I felt the fish but didn't hook up. Pulled in the fly to check the barb - and lo - there was a half hitch tied around the bend of the hook. A blue haze quickly enveloped me. It's rare after over 60 years of fly fishing that I find a new way to screw up, and this was NOT ONE OF THEM. I don't like stupid! Always check your fly after you lose a fish or get a refusal. Stick the point into your thumb nail, if it slides replace it. See if the tail is wrapped under the hook bend or if there is anything else wrong with the fly. Takes are too hard to come by to risk missing fish because you didn't check your fly.
The BE remained cool in plus 90 degree temps and there were iso husks on the only rocks I saw out of the water but I never saw a trout rise. Saw a few isos hatch and had two fish eat my fly. Landed the 8 inch rainbow but lost the only good fish that I saw all day. The BE is still a few hundred CFS above what I consider an ideal level. If they drop the Pepacton release on the first of SEPT. it will be worth a look.
I'm sitting out on the back porch/ typing this in the dark while watching three deer who are waiting for apples to drop from the apple tree. It's 75 degrees on the porch and it's 85 inside with all doors and windows open. I've been cheated out of the last month's fishing but I'm ready for fall weather.
Decided to fish the UEB and EB. I've seen no one wade fishing there and only a very few boats. Now I know why. Saw no bugs or rising fish above Shinhopple, a few bugs and small fish rising between Shinhopple and Harvard and nothing below Oxbow Campground.
Started at the Pleasant Valley pool. Saw a couple of rising fish. The first fish ate my fly but it came out of his mouth when I hooked. Worked up to the second fish and he ate the third cast. Once again I felt the fish but didn't hook up. Pulled in the fly to check the barb - and lo - there was a half hitch tied around the bend of the hook. A blue haze quickly enveloped me. It's rare after over 60 years of fly fishing that I find a new way to screw up, and this was NOT ONE OF THEM. I don't like stupid! Always check your fly after you lose a fish or get a refusal. Stick the point into your thumb nail, if it slides replace it. See if the tail is wrapped under the hook bend or if there is anything else wrong with the fly. Takes are too hard to come by to risk missing fish because you didn't check your fly.
The BE remained cool in plus 90 degree temps and there were iso husks on the only rocks I saw out of the water but I never saw a trout rise. Saw a few isos hatch and had two fish eat my fly. Landed the 8 inch rainbow but lost the only good fish that I saw all day. The BE is still a few hundred CFS above what I consider an ideal level. If they drop the Pepacton release on the first of SEPT. it will be worth a look.
I'm sitting out on the back porch/ typing this in the dark while watching three deer who are waiting for apples to drop from the apple tree. It's 75 degrees on the porch and it's 85 inside with all doors and windows open. I've been cheated out of the last month's fishing but I'm ready for fall weather.
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