TIME: 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM
WEATHER: Partly cloudy, mid 60s
WATER CONDITIONS: 0 Units
LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, Top of Island above Ackerman/Handicap Access to Mill Dam Eddy
ROD USED: 8’9” 5 wt JWF Winston
FLIES USED: #14 Norfork River ICE Gray Scud, #20 Zebra Midge (Black with Silver Wire) (Red with Silver Wire)
HATCHES: Midges, Caddis
OTHER: Fished with Wayne. We decided to fish close to home today, and started at the riffle across from Wayne’s, Water levels were still dropping, and on a whim I began fishing the off side of the riffle (left descending bank) and was into fish immediately in the fast, shallow water. At first, the fish were taking the red zebra midge, but after water levels stabilized, the fish began taking the scud. It was an awesome time as I ended up with a good dozen and a half fish, the quickest I’ve reached that total in several weeks. Meanwhile, Wayne began working his way up the pool, but the pool was fishing slow. By the time I began wading upstream, he was at Mill Dam Eddy and catching fish with regularity. I had no luck in the lower pool, so waded on to Mill Dam Eddy while Wayne fished along side the island. At the downstream point of the island, I caught 8 fish in the skinny water, with about half taking the scud and the other half taking the red zebra midge. Wayne caught 10 at the top of the island and began working his way back downstream, so rather than wade further upstream, I fished along the gravel bar at Mill Dam Eddy, and caught 3 or 4 fish. We both waded downstream where I missed 3 and caught one in the pool. Neither of us caught any big fish, but it was one of my most successful days in several weeks.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Windy, But Productive
TIME: 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
WEATHER: Partly cloudy, mid 70s, windy with gusts to 25 mph
WATER CONDITIONS: 0 Units
LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, Mill Dam Eddy to Riffle above Island below McClellan’s
ROD USED: 8’9” 5 wt JWF Winston
FLIES USED: Yellow Wayne’s Fly, #14 Norfork River ICE Gray Scud, #14 Norfork River Gray Scud, #20 Zebra Midge (Black with Holographic Tinsel)
HATCHES: Midges, Caddis
OTHER: Fished solo. Water was still dropping, but Mill Dam Eddy already had a boat with 3 fishers, so I opted to fish the skinny water along the island with Wayne’s fly tied a few inches below a hard egg bead pegged on the tippet. I began to catch fish immediately, though not as many as my good friend Wayne would have caught. I worked my way up along the island, and while I was wading up, a local husband/wife guide team was kayaking down to fish the area I had just fished. Fighting the wind with every cast, at the top of the island I ended up with a tangle the size of a small bird’s nest. I removed the egg bead, tied on the gray ice dub Norfork River scud, and dropped a zebra midge about 9 inches below. Wading toward the riffle above the island, I caught a few fish on the zebra midge, but caught nothing in the riffle itself fishing from the right descending bank. Wading across the primary riffle, I fished the secondary riffle and caught 3 fish, all on the zebra midge. I waded downstream on the left descending bank, fishing the bubble line, and managed to fool another 3 or 4 fish, all taken on the zebra midge. At the top of the island, I fished the tailout of the pool just before the water began spilling down the right chute, and was surprised catching several fish on the zebra midge. This is the first time I had ever fished this small pool. Wading downstream, the right chute produced another 3 or 4 fish. At the bottom of the island, all the fishers had left Mill Dam Eddy, the wind had abated, and I was the only one within sight. Here, I caught another half 3 or 4 fish before a boat with two fishers "floated" downstream through the very run I was fishing, bumping bottom the entire way. They apologized, and I advised where to find deep water to motor downstream. After they moved through, I managed to catch another couple of fish before calling it a day.
Though one brown was caught, no large fish were taken today.
WEATHER: Partly cloudy, mid 70s, windy with gusts to 25 mph
WATER CONDITIONS: 0 Units
LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, Mill Dam Eddy to Riffle above Island below McClellan’s
ROD USED: 8’9” 5 wt JWF Winston
FLIES USED: Yellow Wayne’s Fly, #14 Norfork River ICE Gray Scud, #14 Norfork River Gray Scud, #20 Zebra Midge (Black with Holographic Tinsel)
HATCHES: Midges, Caddis
OTHER: Fished solo. Water was still dropping, but Mill Dam Eddy already had a boat with 3 fishers, so I opted to fish the skinny water along the island with Wayne’s fly tied a few inches below a hard egg bead pegged on the tippet. I began to catch fish immediately, though not as many as my good friend Wayne would have caught. I worked my way up along the island, and while I was wading up, a local husband/wife guide team was kayaking down to fish the area I had just fished. Fighting the wind with every cast, at the top of the island I ended up with a tangle the size of a small bird’s nest. I removed the egg bead, tied on the gray ice dub Norfork River scud, and dropped a zebra midge about 9 inches below. Wading toward the riffle above the island, I caught a few fish on the zebra midge, but caught nothing in the riffle itself fishing from the right descending bank. Wading across the primary riffle, I fished the secondary riffle and caught 3 fish, all on the zebra midge. I waded downstream on the left descending bank, fishing the bubble line, and managed to fool another 3 or 4 fish, all taken on the zebra midge. At the top of the island, I fished the tailout of the pool just before the water began spilling down the right chute, and was surprised catching several fish on the zebra midge. This is the first time I had ever fished this small pool. Wading downstream, the right chute produced another 3 or 4 fish. At the bottom of the island, all the fishers had left Mill Dam Eddy, the wind had abated, and I was the only one within sight. Here, I caught another half 3 or 4 fish before a boat with two fishers "floated" downstream through the very run I was fishing, bumping bottom the entire way. They apologized, and I advised where to find deep water to motor downstream. After they moved through, I managed to catch another couple of fish before calling it a day.
Though one brown was caught, no large fish were taken today.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The Big Ugly Rules
TIME: 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
WEATHER: Partly cloudy, mid 70s
WATER CONDITIONS: 0 Units
LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, Mill Dam Eddy to Riffle above Island below McClellan’s
ROD USED: 8’9” 5 wt JWF Winston
FLIES USED: #14 Norfork River ICE Gray Scud, #14 Norfork River Gray Scud, Chernobyl Ant
HATCHES: Midges, Caddis
OTHER: Fished with Wayne. Wayne waded in and began fishing downstream towards the end of the gravel bar at Mill Dam Eddy while I fished near the lower root wad at the top of the gravel bar. I only caught 2 or 3 fish, and began walking upstream; Wayne continued fishing the lower run, and, of course, caught fish. Just above the top of the island I began fishing the tailout of the riffle wading upstream on the left descending bank and caught a couple of fish. At the riffle above the island, I caught a couple more fish, but 4 or 5 fish hit the strike indicator. I finally tied on a Chernobyl ant, and was rewarded with 3 quick fish. After fishing Mill Dam Eddy, Wayne fished the skinny water upstream on the right hand chute, and caught about a dozen and a half fish. We met up at the top of the island and began working our way back downstream, with me fishing the Big Ugly fly in front. I didn’t catch anymore fish, but Wayne picked up a few more on the way down. By the time we reached Mill Dam Eddy, we were both tired, and called it a day.
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