Don’t Fish Behind Wayne

TIME: 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM

WEATHER:  Partly cloudy, mid 80s,

WATER CONDITIONS:  0 Units

LOCATIONS FISHED:  Norfork River, Otter Creek to Elisabeth Creek

ROD USED:  10’ 4 wt Winston

FLIES USED:   #14 Norfork River Gray Scud, #18 Black/Silver Zebra Midge

HATCHES: Midges, Caddis

OTHER:  Fished with Wayne.  Once again, Mill Dam Eddy was covered up with fishers.  Several “guests” access the river via a property near there, 3 and 4 at a time, covering the area, and fishing it hard.  After fishing the Norfork River for many years, one observation that can be made is that the river and its fish do not handle continuous pressure.  Given the current stocking patterns, generation on both the White and Norfork Rivers, and changes since the Flood, fish tend to move out of an area, when a small reach is fished day in day out, and this has happened to several formerly great areas on the river, e.g. Ol’ Charlie’s Place.

Back to fishing.  I caught 5 fish above the island, including a 16-inch rainbow and a heavy, 18-inch brown.  As I fished upstream behind Wayne, I caught fewer and fewer fish, coming to the conclusion that there are some “don’t” certainties in life:  don’t relieve yourself in the wind, don’t mess with the Lone Ranger, and don’t fish behind Wayne.  He catches practically every catchable fish in the water.  Consequently, I only managed to catch 4 or 5 fish from those above the island to Otter Creek.  On the return trip, I saw Walter II, a 30+ inch brown, move out from under some rocks when I was bringing in a fish, then saw him take a fish a few minutes later.  Also, a 25+ inch rainbow chased another fish I caught—things are looking up.  Today, almost all fish took the gray scud, rather than the zebra midge dropper.