If Catching A "Big One" Is your Goal, Step Up To The Plate And Take Your Swings.

 

It's 10:05 pm, do you know where your fly boxes are? Mine, (the metal ones), are on the shelf next to the stove pipe and yes I have a fire going. When I left the fishing camp, the radar showed a thin band of light green passing through the area. All I can say is it took it's damn sweet time. Made my usual decision to put the raincoat on and then the fishing vest and never looked back.  It came down as rain for about five minutes around 8:00 but the rest of the time it was like fishing in a misty fog. Nevertheless the vest is wet and so are the fly boxes.

Today was to be liberation day, the WB was finally low enough for me to fish several places I haven't been to all year. Looked at the USGS flow early and it was a go, only things to decide were when to go and which pool to fish. Was ready to head out when I decided to check the levels to be sure they hadn't maxed the flow to create the mandated flood control void. Stilesville was going up, I assumed to 1,500 cfs and I bailed. For a change I had options, lots of them. The BR at 2,300 cfs is fishable if you know what you're doing, the BE at 900 cfs is also very fishable, as is the UEB at 400 cfs. Heard a reliable report saying sulfurs at Long Flat, (mostly yearlings up), and that but two boats went by. Drove up the UEB and saw several rises in the big pool above Al's, could see neither boats nor bugs on the water but with only three cars below the Mattson Farm, I decided I would give the UEB a try.

The bugs - A modest iso hatch, coupled with a fair dorothea hatch, actually got fish feeding, (subsurface). The boats have been on the UEB during the high water and no fish has been ignored. The fish quickly learn the benefits of feeding sub surface.

The fishing - When you've had to fish the same few places over and over again for six weeks, getting on water you haven't fished all year is a joy. Were there risers, yes. Did they suffer fools, no. Were there boats, no. Other fishermen, one. How'd I do? Funny you should ask. Last year I would have said "Not very well". This year I say, "Very good". What's the difference? Well, I'm not catching any two year old trout, (fish between 11 and 13 inches). It isn't unusual during big bug season, but by now they should be making up more than half of a daily catch, and they just aren't. If you are fishing, please let us know if you catch any fish in the 11/13 inch slot. Today I landed six fish, four of which were over 17 inches, (one measured 21). If you combine yesterday's catch (3) with today's catch there were nine fish, three between 14 and 16, the rest all 17 or larger, not a single two year old. It cuts down on the number of fish you catch, but the fish you are fishing to, hooking, and trying to land make it exciting as hell.  

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