Christmas Day Fishing with Dry Flies

DATE: Saturday, 12/25/2004

TIME: 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM

WEATHER: Mid-30's, partly cloudy

WATER CONDITIONS: 0 units

LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, Mill Dam Eddy and at Ol’ Charlie's

HATCH: Midges

ROD USED: Unknown

FLIES USED: #20 Dunn's Dun, #20 Griffith's gnat

OTHER: I fished with Kay and Karyn, catching one at Mill Dam Eddy where water pours off towards left descending bank. Karyn did not have a strike, so we moved to Ol’ Charlie's. She did real well on #20 Griffith's gnat, catching about 6 and missing at least 8. She had trouble, at first, detecting the take, but soon was in the real swing of things. Fish were hitting the Griffith's gnat greased on top, and also striking the fly during the swing. Low temperature was 9 degrees at sunrise.

It’s Cold Out Here

DATE: Friday, 12/24/2004

TIME: 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM

WEATHER: Mid-20's, sunny

WATER CONDITIONS: 0 units

LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, Ol’ Charlie's

HATCH: Midges

ROD USED: Unknown

FLIES USED: #20 Dunn's Dun, #20 blue winged olive

OTHER: I fished with Wayne. It was brutally cold, and low temperature was 4 degrees at sunrise.

A Cold Day in December

DATE: Thursday, 12/23/2004

TIME: 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

WEATHER: Mid-20's, partly cloudy

WATER CONDITIONS: 0 units

LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, riffle at top of 2^nd island above Ackerman/Handicap Access, Ol’ Charlie's

HATCH: Midges

ROD USED: Unknown

FLIES USED: One fish was caught on a San Juan worm, two fish were caught on #16 olive-gray scuds, and three were caught on #20 Dunn's Dun

OTHER: I fished with Karyn. She did real well to be so inexperienced, and plays fish very well. It was brutally cold, and low temperature was 4 degrees at sunrise.

Ron’s First Day Fly Fishing

DATE: Saturday, 12/18/2004

TIME: 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

WEATHER: Mid-40's, partly cloudy, windy

WATER CONDITIONS: 0 units

LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, McClellan’s

HATCH: None

ROD USED: Unknown

FLIES USED: Salmon-colored egg pattern, olive-gray humpback scud

OTHER: "Guided" Ron and his girlfriend, Beverly. It was the first time either had fly fished, and each caught 3 to 4 fish. Fish were small, mostly cutthroats and rainbows. Surprisingly, few other fishers were on the river. We fished Ace in the Hole, and right hand chute just above it. We did not see many rising fish, and no hatches.

Back on the Water

DATE: Friday, 12/17/2004

TIME: Unknown

WEATHER: Mid-40's, partly cloudy

WATER CONDITIONS: 0 units

LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, Mill Dam Eddy

HATCH: Two midge hatches, and blue winged olive hatch

ROD USED: Unknown

FLIES USED: One fish was caught on a #20 gray emerger during the swing, one on #20 Griffith's Gnat on the swing, and one on # 20 Kay's Gray fished below strike indicator with weight. I tried several egg patterns, Red Ass, mini-bugger, Dunn's Dun, blue winged olive, and zebra midge with no luck. Egg patterns were working well for fisher upstream from me.

OTHER: I fished with Harold and Wayne. Wayne fished downstream near his place and at Ol’ Charlie’s. Few other fishers were on the river. It was great to be back on low water after several weeks of generation. River bottom showed lots of silt and vegetation.

Fishing Partial Generation

DATE: Saturday, 11/27/2004

TIME: 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM

WEATHER: Mid-40's, cloudy, VERY strong wind, gusting to 25 mph

WATER CONDITIONS: 1 partial unit (about 800 cfs), falling to no units

LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, Riffle at top of 2^nd island above Ackerman/Handicap Access, Ol’ Charlie's

HATCH: None

ROD USED: Unknown

FLIES USED: Caught several on peach and orange egg patterns. I tried both woolly buggers and zebra midges, but had no success on either.

OTHER: Fished with former brother-in-law, John. It was brutally windy. Casting was difficult at best, and if you tried setting the hook, the fly would come back at an accelerated rate. However, I really liked the water conditions at the shoal at the top of 2^nd Island above Ackerman/Handicap Access. This offers much potential, and I must fish it in the future with similar water conditions.

Another First Time Fly Fisher

DATE: Friday, 11/26/2004

TIME: 11:00 AM to 2:30 PM

WEATHER: Mid-40's, cloudy, VERY strong wind

WATER CONDITIONS: 1 partial unit (about 800 cfs)

LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, McClellan's; fished run along right bank, Ace in the Hole, and left side along bank below Ace in the Hole pool.

HATCH: None

ROD USED: Unknown

FLIES USED: Several were caught on brown scud, and on peach and orange egg

OTHER: "Guided" Karyn and her friend, Brandon, and former brother-in-law, John. It was Brandon's first time to fly fish. All caught several fish. Karyn hooked and landed a nice 16-inch rainbow. Few other fishers were on the river.

Pauxataunant Special

DATE: Friday, 11/5/2004

TIME: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

WEATHER: Mid-50's, mostly sunny

WATER CONDITIONS: High, flowing over entire slab

LOCATIONS FISHED: Crooked Creek, near Kelly’s Slab and downstream

HATCH: None

ROD USED: Unknown

FLIES USED: Rebel deep diving mini-crawfish

OTHER: Fished with Rod and Mel. Mel caught one small smallmouth on Pauxataunant Special. No other fish taken.

Missed a Big Fish

DATE: Thursday, 11/4/2004

TIME: 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

WEATHER: Mid-50's, cloudy, moderate to strong wind

WATER CONDITIONS: 1 unit, water rising upon arrival

LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, McClellan's; fished run along right bank, Ace in the Hole, and left side along bank below Ace in the Hole pool.

HATCH: None

ROD USED: Unknown

FLIES USED: I caught a couple on #16 Red Ass; used scuds, red beaded San Juan worm, and flashback bead head pheasant tail with little luck, catching only a couple of fish. I hooked one briefly that I could barely move; it may have been the largest trout I've ever hooked. I finally broke down and put a #14 bead head mini-bugger on with 3 extra weights above it, casting at Ace in the Hole, quartering downstream, and stripping and caught 8 to 10, and missed about 4.

OTHER: I fished with Rod and Mel. Fishermen were sparse; we only saw a couple for a few minutes, then they left. Duane Hada brought 2 clients in; they did not catch fish. White River was backed up to Handicap Access.

Hop Scotch on the Water

DATE: Tuesday, 11/2/2004

TIME: 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM

WEATHER: Mid-50's, cloudy, moderate wind

WATER CONDITIONS: 0 units on; generation ended about 4:00 AM

LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, fished riffle at top of 2^nd island above Ackerman/Handicap Access, Mill Dam Eddy, riffle above island below McClellan's, and right chute of island below McClellan's. I caught several fish in all locations except riffle at top of 2^nd island above Ackerman/Handicap Access.

HATCH: I saw several adult crane flies, in an off-white color. Gray-green midges in about #22 came off around noon. Few, if any, rises were observed to hatching insects.

ROD USED: Unknown

FLIES USED: I caught a couple of fish on #20 Parachute Adams, one on #20 blue winged olive, and bunches on #20 micro scud.

OTHER: Fishermen were sparse; I saw one at riffle at top of 2^nd island above Ackerman/Handicap Access, only two at McClellan's, and one across from the right chute of the island below McClellan's. There were several fishers at and below Ol’ Charlie's. White River was backed up to Ackerman/Handicap Access.