Query, Was It A Rain Out Or A Skunking?

 The Dorotheas have been here for three weeks, most all of the fish have been fooled at least once, they are as difficult a challenge to take on a dry as you would ever want. If you are up for the challenge, here's what you need to know.

1-We are in the midst of a very good Dorothea hatch. The hatch begins each day when the water temp nears 52 degrees. There are two peaks in each days hatch, one in the early afternoon and one in the evening. So far there have been sulfurs on the water from the start until it finally shuts down near dark. Some days fish will be feeding all day long, while on other days the feeding is limited to the two peak periods which seem to last about 2 hours each.

2- Usually most of the big browns change their diet to fish as soon as the Drake spinner fall is finished in early June and your opportunities to catch them on dries is greatly reduced. This year the percentage of big browns in my catch total has actually increased as the season has lengthened. Why? I really don't know but a couple possibilities come to mind.

    a - The Dorothea hatch is so prolific that they have just continued to eat the mayflies.

    b- The year classes of small trout have been decimated to such an extent that they have found it necessary to supplement their diet by eating mayflies.

3- There are very few one, two, and three year old browns being caught. So far I have probably caught more 11 inch hatchery fish than wild trout in any of the aforementioned year classes. Just know that the fish you see feeding on the Dorotheas are large, no matter how small the rise ring may be.

4- If you enjoy fishing over large hatches of mayflies with many adult fish up and feeding on them, the WB from the Barking Dog launch site up to Stilesville is the place to be.

5- If, however, you need to catch lots of fish to have fun, you would be well advised to contact a guide and arrange a downriver smallmouth bass trip. Why? After almost six weeks of sulfur fishing with large numbers of anglers constantly casting flies at the feeding fish, they have become between difficult and impossible to catch. They examine every fly closely before making a decision to eat or reject it. Being ignored is the norm, a refusals means you are close but still have work to do, a take means you actually fooled one, landing him is cause for celebration.

The Fishing - Drove up to Deposit about one, saw no bugs or rising fish so I stopped at the Troutfitter to get the latest update. Dave checked the weather and said, "You're good 'til three", thanked him, drove to a place near the road, left the raincoat in the car and walked into lots of bugs and rising fish. Threw at the fish for a half hour without a single acknowledgement that I even had a fly on. It started to rain before two and then my phone made 3 terrible squawking sounds and I headed for the car. Arrived at 2:08 only to learn that the tornado watch would expire at 2:15. Downpour continued for an hour shutting off both bugs and risers. Evening game was cancelled due to "stained" water as they like to say. I think the tarp leaked.