Sunday, June 24, 2012—Karma and a Few Sulphurs

DATE: Sunday, June 24, 2012

TIME: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM

WEATHER: Low 70s to low 90s, mostly sunny, slight breeze

WATER CONDITIONS: 0 Units

LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, above the Gravel above Otter Creek downstream to Riffle above the Island below McClellan’s

FLIES USED: Brown Wayne’s Fly, #20 red/silver Zebra Midge, #14 Gray Norfork River Scud, green micro jig, #14 Special K, #16 Parachute Sulphur Dun

ROD USED: Winston 9’ 6-weight BIIX

HATCHES: Midges, sulphurs, occasional caddis

OTHER: Fished solo. I should have known not to fish during church and Sunday school hours; Karma will get you every time.  John Gulley’s truck was parked near my usual walk-in which was kind of a surprise as we had been told several times that the owner had told him not to trespass.  As I waded upstream from Mill Dam Eddy, a solo fisher was fishing the right hand chute along the island (he too had trespassed as he later walked out via Otter Creek).  John Gulley was guiding two clients at the riffle above the island but neither was catching fish.  Further upstream in the plunge pool, a couple of canoers were fishing.  Consequently, I waded all the way to the end of the gravel, arriving there about 9:30 AM, when I should have been in early church.  I didn’t catch my first fish until 11:15 AM, and it was the only bite I had—should have gone to church and Sunday school.  Having decided to wade out, I trudged downstream and the two canoes were attempting to snag fish in the plunge pool and were having limited success—they caught two, maybe three fish.  Gulley had left the riffle above the island and no one else was there so I decided to make a cast or two, and was rewarded with several fish on the green micro jig and several others on the red/silver zebra midge.  A few sulphurs were coming off and the riffle had not been fished with dry flies in several days.  I crossed the first riffle and standing between the two riffles tied on a #14 Special K and got slammed.  I took several fish this way, and then decided to try a #16 parachute sulphur dun.  Again, the fish bit, and I took several more, with quite a few misses and quite a few refusals.  Switching back to the Special K, I took a few more fish and called it a day, ending with almost 2 1/2 dozen fish, including browns, rainbows, and cutthroats.  No big fish were taken, but all the fish were “hot” and several were 14-15 inches.