Monday, August 27, 2012—Missed Opportunities

TIME: 8:45 AM to 11:45 AM

WEATHER: Mid 80s to low 90s, sunny, breezy

WATER CONDITIONS: 0 Units

LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, first and second riffles at top of the island below McClellan’s

FLIES USED: Olive and brown Wayne’s Flies, Olive Norfork River Scud, #20 red/silver Zebra Midge, #14 pink cockleburr

ROD USED: Winston 9’ 6-weight Boron

HATCHES: Midges, craneflies

OTHER: I fished with Bill. Bill fished the chute on the right side of the island walking up, but wasn’t successful (he did take several here on the way back downstream on a soft hackle later in the morning).  He opted to fish the right descending side of the river above the island, and I fished the left.  I fished hard, and missed several fish which just tapped the fly—no hook-up.  Near the lower end of the tail out of the riffle, I cast towards the right descending side of an underwater island, and a HUGE brown hit the fly as soon as it hit the water.  I set the hook, and gallantly fought the fish, trying to reel it in across the “island” and keep it’s head up so it would not rub the fly out.  It was so heavy that I could hardly move it in the slow current.  It was a brief battle as the clinch knot attaching the fly to the tippet came loose.  This unloosening of the knot repeated itself a half dozen times over the course of the morning, each time resulting in loss of both the top and bottom flies—frustrating.  I did managed to take 8 fish in the tail out.  Moving upstream to the left riffle in the plunge pool, I did not take any fish.  I saw a few crane flies emerge, and a couple of rises in the riffle just downstream.  I tied on a #14 pink cockleburr and fooled a couple more fish, and missed a couple more.  The right descending side of the riffle did not produce any fish.  I ended the day with just shy of a dozen fish, a dozen lost flies, and about 15 misses.  It was as tough a fishing day as I’ve h ad in years, but a fun one nevertheless.  I did learn, though, the the pink cockleburr with oversized hackle would suffice as a pattern for a crane fly.